Luca de Angelis, senior track engineer for EM Motorsport
Senior track engineer, EM Motorsport
EM Motorsport is the official marshalling system and flag panel provider for Formula 1. Its telemetry systems underpin much of the data used by the FIA, teams and broadcasters to work out where cars are on the track at any given moment, and its marshalling systems connect individual posts to race control in real time
GP Racing: How long has your company been working in Formula 1 and what does it provide?
Luca de Angelis: EM Motorsport has been involved since 2006, which is when we started delivering the marshalling system. It’s a constantly evolving project, like F1 itself – every year there’s new technology. It’s basically a system in several parts. One of those is the onboard part, which is the telemetry communication between the cars and race control – that’s safety and condition information rather than performance data – and the GPS system which reports the position of the car on track. Then there are the panels: we have flag panels installed around the circuit, which are used for displaying slides and information to the drivers, and we also have what we call the info panel which is installed next to the starting line and provides additional information, informing the drivers about different situations on track, such as additional formation laps. For F1 we also provide the starting grid panels which tell each driver where to park on the grid ahead of the race start. The flag panels are controlled by the marshals locally, in communication with race control: if they see a problem they can display a yellow flag by pressing a button and that information is relayed instantly to race control and to approaching cars. The starting grid panels are operated in a similar way so that marshals can report whether a car has arrived in the right place, and if there’s a problem with the car during the start procedure they can immediately trigger a yellow flag.
GPR: How do you set up all of this equipment? What does your race weekend look like?
LDA: Fortunately we’re helped by F1 with the installation of equipment and laying cables around the track. We usually arrive on the Monday or Tuesday of a race weekend and we adapt the system to the individual circuit. On Thursday there’s an official test to make sure all the connections are OK and the system is working as it should. From then on the FIA is running the system but we’re there to ensure everything runs smoothly.
GPR: This season we’re visiting several venues which are either new or haven’t been on the calendar for a long time. What are the challenges involved in setting up the system there?
LDA: There are quite a few parameters involved in where to install the panels to ensure optimum visibility, and the process begins a long time before the event with a visit from the FIA, usually the race director. They will decide the location of the panels and pass on that information to us. From there we generate a map based on GPS data and other information such as sector lines, and that’s how we adapt our system to new locations.
GPR: What changes have been required to your existing circuit configurations to adapt to new COVID-19 social distancing protocols?
LDA: There have been quite a few places where we have had to change the position of the panel controller to enable the operators to stand by themselves. The key thing is that they still have to be standing in a safe place and with good visibility over the area of the track for which they are responsible. They also need a line of sight to adjacent marshal posts.
GPR: How have your systems evolved over the years?
LDA: We’re on the sixth generation of panels so a lot has changed. Last year we underwent a homologation process with the FIA, which was a big push because the FIA was very strict with the criteria. We now have select panels homologated for grade one and grade two circuits. The radio communication has been an ongoing process because it’s safety-critical, so we need to guarantee a continuous signal regardless of circuit configuration – and we don’t just visit wide-open spaces like in Barcelona, we have to work in built-up environments such as Singapore and Baku. But we can now transmit and receive a lot more information from the cars.