Data Reference

This guide documents every field in the TracingInsights GitHub telemetry data repositories and the JSON structures. Each field is explained with practical context, so no prior Formula 1 knowledge is required.

This page documents the raw JSON files served from the TracingInsights data repos. tif1 loads these files and maps their abbreviated keys to fastf1-compatible PascalCase DataFrame columns. See the Data Schema Reference for the columns of session.laps, lap.telemetry, and the other public APIs.

How This Data Is Generated

The data repositories use two main extraction scripts. They share the same output format for laptimes.json, but produce different session-level files.

Script	Primary Output	Extra Session Files	Notes
`R.py`	Per-driver `laptimes.json` and per-lap `{lap}_tel.json` telemetry	`weather.json`, `rcm.json`, `drivers.json`, `corners.json`	Full telemetry extraction; uses FastF1 + MultiViewer circuit API fallback.
`LapTimes.py`	Per-driver `laptimes.json` only	None	Optimized lap-time-only extraction; enriches Race laps with official Ergast lap times and adds OpenF1 mini-sectors (`ms1`, `ms2`, `ms3`) and qualifying segments (`qs`).

Data sources:

FastF1: base lap timing, telemetry, weather, race control messages, circuit info, driver info.
Ergast/Jolpica: official Race lap times and positions (used by LapTimes.py to overwrite FastF1 Race LapTime and Position).
OpenF1: mini-sector segment data and session keys (used by LapTimes.py for ms1/ms2/ms3).
MultiViewer API: circuit corner geometry fallback when FastF1 circuit info is unavailable.

Weather Data (`weather.json`)

Environmental conditions recorded approximately once per minute during the session.

Key	Field	Description	Unit
`wT`	Time	Session time when this weather sample was recorded from the start of session	seconds
`wAT`	Air Temperature	Ambient air temperature around the track	°C
`wH`	Humidity	Relative humidity of the air	%
`wP`	Pressure	Atmospheric air pressure	mbar
`wR`	Rainfall	Whether it was raining at this moment	`true`/`false`
`wTT`	Track Temperature	Temperature of the asphalt surface	°C
`wWD`	Wind Direction	Direction the wind is coming from, measured as compass bearing	° (0-359)
`wWS`	Wind Speed	How fast the wind is blowing	m/s

Why Weather Matters in F1

Weather has a strong effect on lap times. Cold air reduces engine power, hot tracks reduce tire grip, and rain changes braking distances. Wind direction affects DRS (Drag Reduction System) effectiveness and how the car handles in turns.

Race Control Messages (`rcm.json`)

Messages sent by Race Control (the officials) to teams about track status, penalties, and incidents.

Key	Field	Description	Values
`time`	Time	Session time when this message was issued	Time
`cat`	Category	Type of message being sent	`"Other"`, `"Flag"`, `"Drs"`, `"CarEvent"`
`msg`	Message	Human-readable description of the event	e.g. `"Yellow Flag"`, `"DRS Enabled"`, `"Unsafe Release"`
`status`	Status	Additional context about the message state	e.g. `"DISABLED"`, `"ENABLED"`, depends on category
`flag`	Flag	Type of flag being waved (if applicable)	`"GREEN"`, `"RED"`, `"YELLOW"`, `"CLEAR"`, `"CHEQUERED"`
`scope`	Scope	How wide the impact of this message is	`"Track"` (entire track), `"Sector"` (one of 3 sectors), `"Driver"` (specific driver)
`sector`	Sector	Which mini sector is affected (if scope is `"Sector"`). There are 3 sectors, each divided into 8 mini sectors	1-24
`dNum`	Driver Number / Racing Number	The driver’s car number affected by the message (if scope is `"Driver"`)	String: `"1"`, `"44"`, `"63"`, etc.
`lap`	Lap	Which lap number this message refers to	Integer

What This Means

When a yellow flag is deployed due to debris in Sector 2, the data can show {cat: "Flag", msg: "Yellow", flag: "YELLOW", scope: "Sector", sector: 2}. This tells the teams that drivers must slow down in that sector.

Telemetry Data (`tel.json`)

Detailed second-by-second (actually 3.7 Hz sampling, roughly 270ms intervals) data from the car’s sensors and systems. Each lap is stored in its own {lap}_tel.json file.

Basic Car Metrics

Key	Field	Description	Unit	Notes
`time`	Time	Time when this data sample was recorded from start of the lap	seconds
`rpm`	Revolutions Per Minute	Engine rotations per minute	RPM	Higher on straights, lower in corners
`speed`	Speed	How fast the car is traveling	km/h	Derived from GPS/telemetry sources
`gear`	Gear	Current gear the car is in	1-8	F1 uses 8-speed gearboxes
`throttle`	Throttle Position	How much the driver is pressing the throttle pedal	0-100%	0% = fully released, 100% = floored
`brake`	Brake	Whether brakes are being applied	`true`/`false`	Binary: either braking or not
`drs`	DRS	Status of the DRS (rear wing flap that reduces drag). The raw FastF1 value is mapped to a binary open/closed state	0 or 1	0 = Off/closed; 1 = open. Raw FastF1 DRS values of `10`, `12`, or `14` are treated as open.
`distance`	Distance	Total distance driven since start of lap	meters	Increases monotonically (always increasing)
`rel_distance`	Relative Distance	Normalized distance along the lap, where 0.0 is the first sample and 1.0 is the last sample	unitless (0.0-1.0)	Useful for aligning telemetry across different laps

Driver and Car Ahead Information

Key	Field	Description	Type
`DriverAhead`	Driver Ahead	The car number of the driver directly ahead in the race order	String or `None`
`DistanceToDriverAhead`	Distance To Driver Ahead	How far behind the next car is	meters

Acceleration Vectors (G-Forces)

The car experiences forces in three directions simultaneously. The extraction script computes these values using gradient analysis of position, speed, and distance data. These are not raw IMU sensor values. They are mathematically derived and heavily processed.

Key	Axis Direction	Computation Formula	Outlier Handling	Smoothing
`acc_x`	Longitudinal (forward/backward along track)	`ax = gradient(v_ms) / gradient(time)`, where `v_ms = speed / 3.6`	If `ax > 25 m/s²` (one-sided, positive only), the value is replaced with the previous sample’s value. Boundary samples (first/last) are excluded.	3-point moving average
`acc_y`	Lateral (side-to-side)	`ay = v² × C`, where `C = dθ / (ds + 0.0001)` and `θ = arctan2(dy, dx)`, phase-unwrapped	Stage 1 (intermediate): if `	dθ	> 0.5 rad/sample`, replace with the previous value before computing C and ay. Stage 2: hard-zero if`	ay	> 150 m/s²` (~15G)	9-point moving average
`acc_z`	Vertical (up/down, elevation changes)	`az = v² × C_z`, where `C_z = dθ_z / (ds + 0.0001)` and `θ_z = arctan2(dz, dx)`, phase-unwrapped	Stage 1 (intermediate): if `	dθ_z	> 0.5 rad/sample`, replace with the previous value. Stage 2: hard-zero if`	az	> 150 m/s²` (~15G)	9-point moving average

Position Data (3D Coordinates)

Key	Field	Description	Unit
`x`	X Position	Horizontal position on the track (left-right)	meters
`y`	Y Position	Horizontal position on the track (forward-backward)	meters
`z`	Z Position	Vertical height above track surface	meters

Position data is interpolated (estimated between actual measurements) to align with the higher-frequency car data. Car data comes at roughly 240ms intervals and position data at roughly 220ms. The two streams must be matched.

Other Telemetry Fields

Key	Field	Description
`dataKey`	Data Key	Unique identifier that links this telemetry data to a specific driver and lap

The format is Year-EventName-Session-Driver 3 letter code-Lap Number, for example 2025-United States Grand Prix-Race-VER-9.

For 2026 Pre-Season Testing, PreSeasonTesting1 is used as EventName instead of Pre-Season Testing 1.

Driver Data (`drivers.json`)

Static information about each driver that does not change during a session.

Key	Field	Description	Type
`driver`	Driver (ID)	Unique 3 letter driver identifier	String: `"VER"`
`team`	Team	Team name the driver is racing for	String: `"Red Bull Racing"`, `"Ferrari"`, etc.
`dn`	Driver Number	The number on the car	Integer: 1-99
`fn`	First Name	Driver’s first name	String: `"Lewis"`, `"Max"`, `"Kimi"`
`ln`	Last Name	Driver’s last name	String: `"Hamilton"`, `"Verstappen"`, `"Antonelli"`
`tc`	Team Color	Official team color in hexadecimal format	Hex string: `"4781D7"` (Red Bull’s blue), `"ED1131"` (Ferrari red)
`url`	Headshot URL	Web link to the driver’s official headshot photo	URL string

Lap Times Data (`laptimes.json`)

Comprehensive timing and performance information for each completed lap, stored per driver.

Core Timing Information

Key	Field	Description	Unit	Notes
`time`	Lap Time	The actual lap time for this lap	seconds	For Race sessions this is overwritten with the official Ergast/Jolpica lap time when available.
`lap`	Lap Number	Which lap this is (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)	Integer	Counts from 1
`sesT`	Session Time	When this lap ended relative to session start	seconds
`lST`	Lap Start Time	When this lap started relative to session start	seconds	Lap ended at `sesT`, started at `lST`
`lSD`	Lap Start Date	Calendar date/timestamp when lap started	Date string	Useful for multi-day sessions

Sector Times (Track Divided into 3 Sections)

The track is divided into 3 sectors. Sector times show where a driver gained or lost time.

Key	Field	Description	Notes
`s1`	Sector 1 Time	Time to complete first section of track	seconds
`s2`	Sector 2 Time	Time to complete second section of track	seconds
`s3`	Sector 3 Time	Time to complete final section of track	seconds
`s1T`	Sector 1 Session Time	Session time when the Sector 1 time was set relative to session start	seconds
`s2T`	Sector 2 Session Time	Session time when the Sector 2 time was set relative to session start	seconds
`s3T`	Sector 3 Session Time	Session time when the Sector 3 time was set relative to session start	seconds

Speed Trap Data (Measured at Fixed Points)

Modern F1 tracks have speed guns that measure top speed at specific locations:

Key	Field	Description	Unit
`vi1`	Speed @ Intermediate Point 1	Top speed measured at speed trap in Sector 1	km/h
`vi2`	Speed @ Intermediate Point 2	Top speed measured at speed trap in Sector 2	km/h
`vfl`	Speed @ Finish Line	Top speed measured at the finish line	km/h
`vst`	Speed @ Longest Straight	Top speed measured on the longest straight	km/h

Tire Information

Key	Field	Description	Type	Values
`compound`	Tire Compound	The type of tire being used	String	`"SOFT"`, `"MEDIUM"`, `"HARD"`, `"INTERMEDIATE"`, `"WET"`, `"UNKNOWN"`
`life`	Tire Life	Laps driven on this tire (includes laps in other sessions for used sets of tires)	Integer (laps)
`fresh`	Fresh Tire	Was this a new (fresh) tire when fitted?	Boolean	`true` = new tire, `false` = used tire. Tire had TyreLife=0 at stint start, i.e. was a new tire
`stint`	Stint Number	How many pit stops has this driver made	Integer	First stint = 1, after 1st pit stop = 2, etc.

Mini-Sector Segment Times (OpenF1)

Three-character encoded strings show the per-mini-sector colour and segment classification for each sector. These fields are available only when OpenF1 data can be matched to the session.

Key	Field	Description	Values
`ms1`	Mini-Sector Sectors 1	Encoded mini-sector classifications for Sector 1	String of digits, e.g. `"01331111"`
`ms2`	Mini-Sector Sectors 2	Encoded mini-sector classifications for Sector 2	String of digits
`ms3`	Mini-Sector Sectors 3	Encoded mini-sector classifications for Sector 3	String of digits

Each character is one mini-sector and is encoded using the following colour map:

Encoded Digit	Meaning
`0`	Yellow
`1`	Green
`2`	Unknown
`3`	Purple
`4`	Unknown
`5`	Pitlane
`6`	Unknown
`7`	Not Available

Qualifying Segment

Key	Field	Description	Values
`qs`	Qualifying Segment	Which qualifying segment this lap belongs to (Qualifying / Sprint Qualifying only)	`"Q1"`, `"Q2"`, `"Q3"` or `"SQ1"`, `"SQ2"`, `"SQ3"`

Position and Status

Key	Field	Description	Type
`pos`	Position	Driver’s position in the race/sprint at the end of this lap. This value is `None` for FP1, FP2, FP3, Sprint Shootout, and Qualifying as well as for crash laps. For Race sessions this may be overwritten with the Ergast/Jolpica position when available.	Integer: 1-22
`status`	Track Status	A string containing track status numbers for all track status that occurred during this lap	String: `"1"`, `"216"`
`pb`	Personal Best	Whether this lap is the official personal best lap of a driver. If any lap of a driver is quicker than their respective personal best lap, that quicker lap is invalid and not counted — for example if track limits were exceeded	`true`/`false`

Pit Stop Information

A pit lap is either an in-lap (driving into the pits) or an out-lap (driving out of the pits).

Key	Field	Description	Unit	Notes
`pin`	Pit In Time	When the driver entered the pit lane relative to session start	seconds	`None` if this wasn’t an in-lap
`pout`	Pit Out Time	When the driver exited the pit lane relative to session start	seconds	`None` if this wasn’t an out-lap

Data Quality and Accuracy

Key	Field	Description	Type	Notes
`iacc`	Is Accurate	Is this lap timing data considered accurate?	Boolean	Indicates that the lap start and end time are synced correctly with other laps. Do not confuse this with the accuracy of the lap time or sector times — they are always considered accurate if they exist! If `true`, the lap passed a basic accuracy check for timing data. This does not guarantee accuracy, but laps marked inaccurate need to be handled with caution — they might contain errors which cannot be spotted easily.
`ff1G`	FastF1 Generated	Indicates that this lap was added by FastF1. Such a lap generally has very limited information available, partly interpolated or based on reasonable assumptions	Boolean	`true` means some missing data was filled in. Cases where this is used include partial last laps added for drivers that retired on track.
`del`	Deleted	Indicates that a lap was deleted by the stewards, for example because of a track limits violation	Boolean
`delR`	Deleted Reason	Gives the reason for a lap time deletion	String

Driver/Team Reference

Key	Field	Type	Purpose
`drv`	Driver	String	Driver identifier/code, e.g. `"LEC"`
`dNum`	Driver Number	String	Car number for cross-referencing, e.g. `"1"`
`team`	Team	String	Team name, e.g. `"Ferrari"`

Per-Lap Weather

When weather data can be matched to individual laps, the following fields are appended to laptimes.json. These use the same abbreviations as weather.json.

Key	Field	Description	Unit
`wT`	Time	Session time when this weather sample was recorded	seconds
`wAT`	Air Temperature	Ambient air temperature around the track	°C
`wH`	Humidity	Relative humidity of the air	%
`wP`	Pressure	Atmospheric air pressure	mbar
`wR`	Rainfall	Boolean flag indicating whether it was raining	`true`/`false`
`wTT`	Track Temperature	Temperature of the asphalt surface	°C
`wWD`	Wind Direction	Direction the wind is coming from, measured as compass bearing	° (0-359)
`wWS`	Wind Speed	How fast the wind is blowing	m/s

Track Status Reference

Status Code	Status Name	Description	Typical When It Appears	Notes
`1`	Track Clear	Normal racing conditions with no restrictions. The circuit is considered safe for full-speed racing.	At the start of a session, after incidents are cleared, or when other track control statuses end.	Often used as a reset state after other flags or control measures.
`2`	Yellow Flag	Warns drivers of a hazard on the track (accident, debris, stopped car, etc.). Drivers must slow down and overtaking is prohibited in affected sectors.	During incidents where marshals or recovery vehicles may be near the track.	Sector-level information may not always be specified in this status, meaning the exact affected sectors can be unknown in the data feed.
`3`	Unknown / Unused	A status code listed in the system but rarely or never observed in real telemetry or timing data.	Not typically seen in real race data.	Likely reserved for a future state, legacy compatibility, or internal system use.
`4`	Safety Car	A physical safety car is deployed on track to control the pace while marshals clear hazards or debris. Drivers must follow the safety car at reduced speed and overtaking is restricted.	Major accidents, heavy debris, or dangerous track conditions requiring neutralization of the race.	Race control manages field order behind the safety car. Lapped cars may be allowed to overtake depending on regulations.
`5`	Red Flag	The session or race is stopped due to unsafe conditions (serious accident, barrier damage, severe weather, etc.). Cars return to the pit lane or stop as directed.	Major incidents or conditions where continuing even behind a safety car is unsafe.	Timing may be paused depending on session type. Restart procedures vary by race regulations.
`6`	Virtual Safety Car (VSC) Deployed	A neutralization procedure where drivers must follow a controlled speed delta instead of following a physical safety car.	Smaller incidents where marshals need time on track but a full safety car is unnecessary.	Drivers maintain a regulated pace via dashboard delta timing rather than forming a queue behind a safety car.
`7`	Virtual Safety Car Ending	Signals that the Virtual Safety Car period is about to end and racing will resume shortly.	Immediately before the VSC period concludes.	Drivers see the “VSC ending” notification on steering wheels and broadcast graphics. Status `1` will follow to confirm the return to normal racing conditions.

Circuit/Corner Data (`corners.json`)

Information about the physical corners of the racetrack layout.

Key	Field	Description	Unit	Purpose
`CornerNumber`	Corner Number	Sequential number of this corner	Integer: 1+	Identifies which corner (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
`X`	X Coordinate	Horizontal position of the corner on the track map	meters
`Y`	Y Coordinate	Horizontal position of the corner on the track map	meters
`Angle`	Angle	An angle in degrees, used to visually offset the marker’s placement on a track map in a logical direction (usually orthogonal to the track)	°
`Distance`	Distance	Location of the marker as a distance from the start/finish line	meters	Position relative to start/finish
`Rotation`	Rotation	Rotation of the circuit in degrees. Can be used to rotate the coordinate system of the telemetry (position) data to match the orientation of the official track map	Degrees or `None`

Where to Find More Information

Official FastF1 Documentation: https://docs.fastf1.dev/

Detailed API documentation
Examples and tutorials
Data accuracy information
Troubleshooting guides

Get Started

Guides

Concepts

Reference

Data Reference

How This Data Is Generated

Weather Data (`weather.json`)

Why Weather Matters in F1

Race Control Messages (`rcm.json`)

What This Means

Telemetry Data (`tel.json`)

Basic Car Metrics

Driver and Car Ahead Information

Acceleration Vectors (G-Forces)

Position Data (3D Coordinates)

Other Telemetry Fields

Driver Data (`drivers.json`)

Lap Times Data (`laptimes.json`)

Core Timing Information

Sector Times (Track Divided into 3 Sections)

Speed Trap Data (Measured at Fixed Points)

Tire Information

Mini-Sector Segment Times (OpenF1)

Qualifying Segment

Position and Status

Pit Stop Information

Data Quality and Accuracy

Driver/Team Reference

Per-Lap Weather

Track Status Reference

Circuit/Corner Data (`corners.json`)

Where to Find More Information

​How This Data Is Generated

​Weather Data (weather.json)

​Why Weather Matters in F1

​Race Control Messages (rcm.json)

​What This Means

​Telemetry Data (tel.json)

​Basic Car Metrics

​Driver and Car Ahead Information

​Acceleration Vectors (G-Forces)

​Position Data (3D Coordinates)

​Other Telemetry Fields

​Driver Data (drivers.json)

​Lap Times Data (laptimes.json)

​Core Timing Information

​Sector Times (Track Divided into 3 Sections)

​Speed Trap Data (Measured at Fixed Points)

​Tire Information

​Mini-Sector Segment Times (OpenF1)

​Qualifying Segment

​Position and Status

​Pit Stop Information

​Data Quality and Accuracy

​Driver/Team Reference

​Per-Lap Weather

​Track Status Reference

​Circuit/Corner Data (corners.json)

​Where to Find More Information

How This Data Is Generated

Weather Data (`weather.json`)

Why Weather Matters in F1

Race Control Messages (`rcm.json`)

What This Means

Telemetry Data (`tel.json`)

Basic Car Metrics

Driver and Car Ahead Information

Acceleration Vectors (G-Forces)

Position Data (3D Coordinates)

Other Telemetry Fields

Driver Data (`drivers.json`)

Lap Times Data (`laptimes.json`)

Core Timing Information

Sector Times (Track Divided into 3 Sections)

Speed Trap Data (Measured at Fixed Points)

Tire Information

Mini-Sector Segment Times (OpenF1)

Qualifying Segment

Position and Status

Pit Stop Information

Data Quality and Accuracy

Driver/Team Reference

Per-Lap Weather

Track Status Reference

Circuit/Corner Data (`corners.json`)

Where to Find More Information