Identifying drivers on screen at a glance is about to get a lot easier for Formula 1 fans. F1 is rolling out a new feature at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix that should help both newcomers and seasoned viewers.
Ever noticed that little camera mounted on top of each F1 car? It’s called a T-cam, and it gives us those awesome onboard shots during races. Currently, one car in each team has a yellow T-cam while the other has a black one.
There’s often confusion about which driver gets which color. Some think the second driver always gets yellow and the team leader gets black, but it’s not that simple. Usually, the second car in the lineup gets the yellow camera, though teams without clear driver hierarchies might arrange things differently.
Max Verstappen, for example, races with the black T-cam.
Right now, spotting who’s driving means paying close attention to three things: the T-cam color, the helmet design, and the car number. That’s a lot to keep track of, especially when cars are zipping around at 200+ mph!
## F1 Making Identification Simpler
To solve this problem, Formula 1 plans to display each driver’s three-letter abbreviation directly on the T-cam starting at the Belgian Grand Prix. These will be the same abbreviations you see on timing screens (like VER for Verstappen or HAM for Hamilton).
We don’t know exactly how big these names will be or precisely where they’ll appear on the camera mount. Fans will have to tune in to the first practice session at Spa-Francorchamps to see the new system in action.
This change is just the latest effort by F1 to make it easier for viewers to identify drivers during broadcasts. It’s a small tweak that should make a big difference, especially for casual fans or those just getting into the sport.
