March is almost here and that can only mean one thing: the Formula 1 season is finally about to begin.
To celebrate, Sky Sports experts relied on artificial intelligence (AI) to create the “best F1 track in the world.”
Based on input from thousands of fans, the 3.7-mile-long circuit takes elements from multiple Grands Prix, including epic landmarks like the Suzuka Ferris wheel in Japan.
Also featured are the legendary Eau Rouge de Spa in Belgium, the Hairpin Hotel in Monaco and the uphill climb at Circuit of the Americas.
Silverstone is included in the pouring rain, with the RAF’s revered Red Arrows flying overhead to add some color to a typical British summer’s day.
Sky Sports surveyed over 4,000 fans about their ideal F1 circuit and used AI to bring it to life digitally.
The AI shows the great British circuit in the rain and red arrows flying overhead, along Maggots, Becketts and Chapel Curve, described as Silverstone’s fastest and most iconic corner sequence.
“The best thing about Formula 1 is the passionate fans, the variety of circuits around the world and the demands of each one,” said F1 world champion and current Sky Sports analyst Jenson Button.
“I would have loved to have had the opportunity to compete at this track as it combines many of the things that make F1 the most unique sport in the world: the glamor of Monaco, the speed of Monza and not forgetting the unpredictable weather of Spa” .
For the project, Sky Sports surveyed more than 4,000 fans about their ideal F1 track and the elements it would include.
Digital designers then used specific cues in the generative AI creative platform Midjourney to visualize what the best track would look like, both in still images and animation.
The result, described as “the best Formula 1 track in the world,” begins with the uphill climb of the first straight of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
It then passes through the Italian circuit of Imola and the Monza circuit, which has the emblematic Colosseum of Rome in the distance.
Next up is the Monaco Circuit, with F1’s slowest and tightest corner at Grand Hotel Hairpin and the swimming pool, an integral part of the Monaco Grand Prix since the start of the race.
The ‘best track in the world’ begins with the first straight of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, with the braking zone uphill from Turn 1.
La Parabolica, a long, wide right-hand curve located on the Monza circuit in Italy. The Colosseum, an iconic Italian landmark, can be seen in the distance.
Acque Minerali on the Imola circuit in Italy, named after the nearby mineral springs, is the third section and features a scenic backdrop.
In the photo, the swimming pool, an integral part of the Monaco Grand Prix since the start of the race.
The iconic hairpin corner: Monaco presents the slowest and tightest corner in Formula 1 at the Grand Hotel Hairpin, Monte Carlo
Next, the dream track enters Eau Rouge in Spa, Belgium, named after a 10-mile-long stream that runs the length of the circuit.
Also part of the Belgian Grand Prix is the Kemmel Straight, a section surrounded by the Ardennes Forest, known for its challenging conditions and unpredictable weather.
Following the Castle section on the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan, the track enters the legendary Silverstone in Northamptonshire.
The AI shows the great British circuit in the rain and red arrows flying overhead, along Maggots, Becketts and Chapel Curve, described as Silverstone’s fastest and most iconic corner sequence.
Then it’s off to the Suzuka circuit in Japan, in front of the iconic Ferris wheel, the pink flower and the imposing Mount Fuji in the background.
This is followed by the corner between the Brabham and Jones stands at the Melbourne Grand Prix, named after Australian motorsport icons Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones.
However, the AI seems to have trouble getting the Australian flag right, with four yellow stars instead of six white ones.
One of F1’s most legendary corners, Eau Rouge at Spa in Belgium, is named after a 15km long stream that runs along the circuit.
The Kemmel Strait, surrounded by the Ardennes Forest, is known for its challenging conditions and unpredictable weather.
The Castle section on Azerbaijan’s Baku City Circuit (a 1.4 mile stretch) features the narrowest point teams visit all year and proves a difficult challenge for even the most experienced drivers. The Red Arrows of Silverstone and the Suzuka Ferris Wheel can be seen in the distance.
The ‘best track’ features the epic Suzuka Ferris wheel in Japan, with pink flowers and the towering Mount Fuji in the background.
The eleventh section, named after Australian motorsport icons Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, is the corner between the Brabham and Jones stands at the Melbourne GP.
‘The largest track in the world’ finally arrives at the Interlagos Circuit of the São Paulo Grand Prix.
It features the ‘S’ for Senna, an S-shaped part of the track named after legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna.
If you look closely, you’ll see a statue of Senna, who tragically died at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix when his car crashed into a concrete barrier.
To end the IA track in Brazil, the last section runs from turn 14, known as Junção, to the final Interlagos sector.
Sky Sports, which has exclusive rights to broadcast live F1 races, is trying to entice fans into subscriptions before the Grand Prix season begins next month.
The 2024 calendar comprises a record 24 Grands Prix, starting with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2.
The Senna ‘S’, named after the legendary Ayrton Senna, is known as one of the most iconic overtaking points in Formula 1.
To finish the race in Brazil, the thirteenth stage of ‘The largest track in the world’ runs from turn 14, known as Junção, to the final sector of Interlagos.