How Much Data Does An F1 Car Generate?

Article reviewed and updated by Jack Renn, July 2026.

• Each F1 car generates over 1.5 terabytes of data across a race weekend, with 300 onboard sensors producing 1.1 million telemetry data points per second while the car is on track
• The live data stream measures roughly 30 megabytes per lap, but two to three times more is offloaded through a physical connection each time the car returns to the pits, and the total doubles again once engineers complete post-processing
• The 2026 regulations increase data demands further, with active aerodynamic systems requiring additional position sensors and compliance monitoring, and the electric motor output rising from 120 kW to 350 kW

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How Much Data An F1 Car Generates Per Lap And Per Weekend

How much data does an F1 car generate? Around 1.5 terabytes across a race weekend, and that figure doubles or triples once teams complete post-processing of video and ancillary information. The live telemetry stream while the car is running measures roughly 30 megabytes per lap, though two to three times more data is offloaded through a physical “umbilical” connection each time the car returns to the pits. According to AWS, which powers F1’s data infrastructure, the 300 sensors on each car generate 1.1 million data points per second transmitted from car to pit wall.

Mercedes trackside control systems engineer Chris Nelson has described the scale of data transfer at a single race. At the 2025 Mexico weekend, roughly 11 terabytes were transferred between the trackside team and the factories in Brackley and Brixworth. Offloading car data after each session is a priority for the IT team, and the transfer is expected to be complete before the car goes out for its next run.

The late Pete Samara, F1’s Director of Innovation and Digital Technology, described the dependency on this data flow in stark terms: “If the telemetry systems aren’t reporting or team radio isn’t being sent or received by us, the cars won’t leave the garage.”

300 Sensors And 17 CAN Buses

The 300 sensors on a current F1 car measure tyre temperatures, brake pressures, ERS energy flows, engine RPM, fuel consumption, suspension loads, steering angle, and G-forces on the driver. They connect to the standardised Electronic Control Unit through 17 separate CAN (Controller Area Network) buses. CAN is an automotive standard for network communication: a pressure sensor on one bus broadcasts its reading and any interested ECU can listen in and use the information, keeping wiring efficient while allowing dozens of systems to share data simultaneously.

Mercedes lead electronics development engineer Christine Steven has explained that teams divide sensors into three functional categories. Control sensors manage active systems on the car. Instrumentation sensors measure performance variables during a session. Monitoring sensors watch for faults or anomalies that could cause a mechanical failure. Most are small enough to add negligible weight, and many are invisible from outside the car, though thermal imaging sensors on the front wings can be spotted at close range.

The ECU that processes all this data is a standard unit supplied by Motion Applied (formerly McLaren Applied) to every team on the grid, a regulation introduced in 2008 to prevent the wealthiest teams from gaining an advantage through bespoke electronics. Motion Applied’s contract as F1’s sole ECU supplier has been extended through 2030.

From Car To Factory In 10 Milliseconds

Once data is gathered from the car, it is synchronised so engineers know what is happening at the precise moment across every sensor, then encrypted and transmitted back to the garage through F1’s common telemetry system. At European races, the data reaches the team’s factory operations room within 10 milliseconds. For flyaway rounds like Australia or Japan, latency rises to roughly 300 milliseconds, still fast enough for the factory-based team to analyse data in near real time.

Engineers at the track and back at base analyse this data using ATLAS (Advanced Telemetry Linked Acquisition System), software developed by Motion Applied and used by most teams on the grid. In 2023, ATLAS was enhanced through a partnership with KX, integrating kdb+ database technology to speed up the complex queries engineers run during qualifying and race sessions.

Drivers spend time after each session reviewing their traces, comparing braking points, corner speeds, and throttle application against their teammate. When the data shows a gap at a specific corner, engineers can adjust the car setup or recommend a revised driving approach to make an undercut more viable during the race. Mercedes trackside and technical support manager Daniel Boddy has noted that the pressure is on to extract every learning from each session, because F1’s limited testing schedule means teams cannot head back to the circuit and repeat a run.

This same data stream feeds real-time broadcast graphics through F1’s partnership with AWS. Machine learning models process the 1.1 million data points per second to produce on-screen insights like Battle Forecast, which predicts how many laps before a chasing car reaches striking distance, and graphics showing how each driver’s pit stop strategy is likely to play out. Safety car deployments trigger an immediate recalculation, since the time cost of pitting drops when the field is already circulating slowly.

What The 2026 F1 Regulations Add To The Data Load

The 2026 regulations introduce active aerodynamics, replacing DRS with adjustable front and rear wing elements that move between two fixed positions for cornering and straight-line running. These systems will require additional position sensors and real-time compliance monitoring, since the FIA uses high-resolution onboard cameras cross-referenced with telemetry data to verify that wing elements are only moving within designated activation zones.

The 2026 power unit will also demand more from the data pipeline. The electric motor output rises from 120 kW to 350 kW, making energy deployment and recovery across a lap far more complex to manage. Teams will need to process energy flow data in real time to optimise when to deploy electrical power and when to harvest it, adding a new layer of strategic calculation on top of the existing tyre, fuel, and aerodynamic variables.

Biometric monitoring, mandatory since 2018 through FIA-mandated driver gloves that measure pulse rate and blood oxygen levels, is also expanding. The FIA is developing sensors for balaclavas and race suits that would add respiratory rate and body temperature to the data transmitted to the medical team, providing a more complete picture of driver condition during and after incidents.

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Formula 1 Data FAQs

Sources

• Feature: Data and Electronics in F1, Explained, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
• F1 Insights Powered by AWS
• How Formula One Accelerated Its Remote Tech Plans, TechInformed
• Biometric Gloves Set for F1 Debut, FIA

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Written by

Jarrod Partridge

Jarrod Partridge is the Co-Founder of F1 Chronicle and an FIA accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following Formula 1. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered F1 races at circuits around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every race report, driver profile, and technical analysis he writes.

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