DUBAI: FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has heralded a multi-million-pound investment in race management by the governing body for world motorsport as an important milestone in the continued evolution of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Speaking ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, Ben Sulayem said the recent official opening of the FIA’s new Remote Operations Centre at Biggin Hill, UK, marked a significant investment in the technology, infrastructure and people that underpin the championship. With F1 and global motorsport experiencing an extraordinary period of growth, the ROC is the result of close collaboration between the FIA and Formula One Management to ensure the continued delivery of the highest possible standards of race management. Ben Sulayem said: “The inauguration of our new ROC represents an important milestone in the continued evolution of the FIA Formula One World Championship and our commitment to delivering the highest standards of safety, fairness and integrity across our sport. “As the championship grows globally, it is vital that we continue to invest in the people, technology and infrastructure that underpin world-class race operations. This state-of-the-art facility will strengthen our ability to support accurate, consistent and efficient decision-making, ensuring that our sport continues to operate at the highest possible standards.” The new facility will provide round-the-clock support to the FIA’s race control and stewards during Grand Prix weekend for F1, F2 and F3. Enabling improved speed, accuracy and consistency of support, it is integral to strengthening race operations and will play an important role in developing the next generation of FIA officials through the FIA High-Performance Programme. One of the four pillars of FIA Race Operations, the ROC works alongside race control, systems operations and the stewards to strengthen race management and enhance decision-making. During Grand Prix weekends, ROC analysts process live data from more than 140 audio and video feeds, car positioning telemetry and team radio communications, acting as a support and review resource to inform decision-making by FIA officials. It identifies and assesses potential infringements such as jump starts, incorrect grid positioning, track limit violations, pit lane offences and compliance with stop-and-go penalties. Innovative artificial intelligence-assisted shape recognition, computer vision and automated radio message tagging help the team to flag potential incidents and the facility also plays an important role in post-event reviews. The relocation to a modern, state-of-the-art facility within F1’s Biggin Hill site represents a significant multi-million-pound investment by the FIA. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Ben Sulayem, FOM President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis, FIA Sporting Director Tim Malyon, FIA ROC Team Leader & Regulations Specialist Steve Porter, and members of the ROC operations team. “This is a powerful example of what we can achieve through collaboration,” said Ben Sulayem. “I would like to thank Stefano Domenicali and our partners at FOM for their continued support, alongside the dedicated FIA teams whose expertise and professionalism are fundamental to the success of our sport. Together, we are investing in a stronger, safer and fairer future for motor sport.” The new facility has been operational since this year’s Dutch Grand Prix, with up to 16 staff during race weekends working to provide more efficient connectivity with circuits and greater operational capability.