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F1’s Media & Technology Centre broadcast nerve-centre is every bit as impressive as what happens in its paddocks. We took a look behind the scenes
Deep in the leafy London Borough of Bromley lies the world’s most advanced sports broadcasting facilities, housed in what was once a Royal Air Force airfield and fighter station, now transformed into Formula 1’s Media & Technology Centre (M&TC), broadcasting to over 820 million viewers globally.
F1’s M&TC is a state-of-the-art production complex managing every aspect of capturing an F1 weekend, from audio-visual to telemetry, with a colossal 600 terabytes of data transferred between facilities per event weekend.
Visitors to the M&TC are greeted by a gallery-like hallway showcasing F1’s history, leading to a glass-walled Media Control Room resembling motorsport’s ultimate mission control, operating at a frenetic pace with cutting-edge technology.
The M&TC’s recent virtualization and containerization by F1’s IT director, working with Lenovo, in just 10 weeks before the 2022 season, paved the way for creating two video feeds: the world feed for international TV broadcast and content for F1TV, the direct-to-consumer streaming service.
Dean Locke, F1’s director of broadcast and media, highlights the facility’s transformation into the ultimate remote control of TV production, shifting the focus from on-site processing to Biggin Hill’s centralized management.
The COVID-19 pandemic hastened the technological adaptations at the MT&C, reinforcing its position as the heart of Formula 1’s global broadcasting operation.
