Ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season kicking off, broadcaster Sky Sports F1 polled over 4,000 fans to generate the so-called ‘Greatest Track On Earth’ and unveiled the unique layout on Monday.
The process to determine the layout began with a data collection drive, Sky Sports commissioned market research company BF Media to pool opinions from 2005 sports fans (1459 specific fans of F1) across the UK and the Republic of Ireland from January 10 – 17 and also engaged with 2033 fans across the Sky Sports F1 social community from January 8 to 10.
Once the best features from F1’s roster of circuits were determined via the survey, Sky Sports leant on the expertise of the generative AI platform Midjourney to set about compiling those features into a cohesive layout.
AI images were then mapped onto a realistic track model and with the help of 3D designers, visual FX designers & artworkers, the animated reality of ‘The Greatest Tack on Earth’ was brought to life.
The resulting 6km track configuration features elements from the likes of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Silverstone, Baku and more.
At lights out cars race up the inclined run to Turn 1 at COTA, before a short blast takes the route into a double helping of Italian corner features, firstly Monza’s Parabolica, followed by Imola’s Acque Minerali.
From Italy, the circuit then borrows elements from Monaco, namely the Swimming Pool and Grand Hotel Hairpin sections before swinging through the iconic Eau Rouge into Raidillon section of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
From the high-speed corners of Spa, the layout twists and turns through the single-file castle section of Baku then sweeps through Silverstone’s Maggots, Beckettes and Chapel Curve and latterly Suzuka’s famous Esses.
The final sector of the 6km lap kicks off with the Brabham, Jones sequence from Albert Park before ending proceedings with Interlagos’ Senna ‘S’ and final banked curve to cross the finish line.
As well as determining ‘The Greatest Track On Earth,’ Sky Sports also collected various other F1 data insights.
The research found that the Observation Tower at COTA and Suzuka’s ferris wheel polled as the most popular landmarks that fans would like to see around a hypothetical layout, at 48% apiece in the final survey results.
The Italian Tifosi were polled as the most passionate fans at 39%, followed by the British contingent at 28% and the Dutch Orange Army at 11%.
Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton was polled as the ultimate driver, taking 28% of the vote.
“The best things about Formula 1 are the passionate fans, the variety of circuits across the globe and the demands each one brings, so for Sky Sports to have used AI to design the ultimate track really does get the imagination racing,” said 2009 F1 World Champion and Sky Sports F1 pundit Jenson Button.
“I would have loved the opportunity to compete on this track as it combines many of the things that make F1 the most unique sport in the world – the glamour of Monaco, the speed of Monza and not forgetting the unpredictable weather of Spa!”
