At this year’s 24h Nürburgring, safety and fairness in the event of incidents on the over 25-kilometre-long Nordschleife will be taken to a new level. From 2026, all vehicles – from GT3 cars to near-production cars – must be equipped with a video telematics system based on “GPS-Auge” (“GPS Eye”). The app-based information and monitoring system was already an important tool in the race control version, for example to ensure the monitoring of Code 60 zones. It is now being supplemented by a direct view from the cockpit perspective, available at any time. The camera must reproduce the driver’s view of the track – race directors and stewards are thus given another tool to ensure a clean race and a high degree of fairness.
Live access to on-board cameras
The highlight of the new system: race control can access the video footage live via the GPS-Auge app. “In theory, we can switch to a live feed from any vehicle via the app,” explains race director Walter Hornung. “This allows us to observe situations from the driver’s perspective.” It also gives officials a quick overview of any hazardous spots that come into view as competitors pass by. This makes the new technology far more than a conventional on-board camera. For the first time, it is now possible to access live video footage from every vehicle. Important sequences can be downloaded via remote access for later analysis without a technician having to go to the vehicle in the pits or the paddock – even whilst the race is in progress.
Greater fairness through more video footage
In addition to safety, the system primarily serves sporting fairness. “In the event of accidents or contentious situations, we can immediately view the videos of the vehicles involved as well as those immediately behind them,” Hornung continues. This enables a neutral assessment of the sequence of events and also makes flag violations, for example, easier to understand. The GPS-Eye system can even download videos automatically. In the past, Code 60 offences were already detected automatically. Now, the relevant video clips for the vehicles involved are also stored directly in the app and simply need to be reviewed by those responsible: Was the driver able to recognise a flag signal? From now on, the rules and fairness officials can judge this for themselves. Long waits for video footage are a thing of the past.
Clear positioning requirements
The camera’s positioning is clearly specified by the regulations: it must be mounted in the car in such a way as to ensure an unobstructed view of the road ahead and the course of the track. The camera’s field of view should correspond to the driver’s field of view without obstructing or restricting the driver’s vision. The teams are responsible for ensuring the camera is mounted correctly.
This system allows drivers to be monitored even more closely. As a result, discussions about what was visible on the track in a given situation become more objective. On the one hand, this eliminates ‘hiding places’ for drivers. On the other hand, events can now be better understood and assessed from their perspective – naturally also to ease the burden on participants and, above all, to enhance sporting fairness in complex racing situations.