Auto123.com - Helping you drive happy

F1: First onboard camera telecast in Formula 1

|
Obtain the best financial rate for your car loan at Automobile En Direct
Khatir Soltani
Here is some cool footage of the first ever live coverage of a Grand Prix race from the cockpit view of a Formula 1 car.

The technology was privately tested using a Renault F1 car at Monthlery, France and then at Michelin's proving grounds in Clermont-Ferrand in 1984.

Nelson Piquet then tested it for FOCA TV, driving his camera-equipped Brabham-BMW at Monza later that same year.

The first live broadcast of a Grand Prix race was performed in 1985 during the German Grand Prix held on the short, new version of the Nurburgring.

Frenchman Francois Hesnault was behind the wheel of a third Renault RE60 turbo fitted with a big (and heavy!) Thomson camera and a transmitter.

Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada