Safety calls don't wait for the rain to arrive
Tracking geolocated to your exact circuit to anticipate session suspensions, protect spectators and document race-control decisions.
The circuit and the weather: an environment of multiple constraints
A racing circuit, car or motorcycle, is a singular environment. Several hundred to several thousand spectators in open or semi-open stands. Riders at high speed on a track whose grip changes radically in seconds. Technical crews in the pit lane, exposed to the elements. Temporary structures whose wind resistance is nowhere near that of a permanent building.
Each factor, on its own, is manageable. Together, they create an operational complexity that demands anticipated decisions rather than reactive ones.
What the sporting rules say about weather
Motorsport and motorcycle racing regulations explicitly provide for suspending a session for dangerous weather conditions. Under the FFSA and FIA rules, the red flag means a full stop of the session due to dangerous conditions, among which extreme weather is listed.
Beyond the sporting regulations, local laws can impose additional constraints. In the United States, the law requires large outdoor public events to be interrupted when storms with a proven lightning risk approach, a rule that applies to the Miami, Austin and Las Vegas Grands Prix with no margin of appreciation for the FIA.
Lightning strikes between 100 and 300 people a year in France according to Météorage, with 10 to 15 deaths annually. An open space with metal structures and concentrated crowds worsens the exposure. Evacuating stands of 5,000 people takes time; this decision must be made with sufficient lead time.
The decisions the weather forces on a circuit
Suspending and resuming a session
Stopping too early disrupts the schedule. Too late exposes the riders. The decision must be made before conditions deteriorate, not after.
Evacuating the stands
The most critical decision in human terms. It must be made with sufficient lead time, which is only possible with an early alert.
Postponing an event
An event moved from the afternoon to the morning, ahead of a storm episode, keeps the programme on track without compromising safety.
What Storm Predict changes for race control
Tracking geolocated to your exact circuit
The circuit is set up as a Storm Predict monitoring spot. The platform tracks storm cells in real time and computes their forecast trajectory over your site, not over your department. An episode can hit a town 20 km away without touching the circuit. Conversely, a cell can generate intense electrical activity right over the stands while the sky still looks acceptable elsewhere.
Direct risk to spectators and personnel in the open. Decision to evacuate the stands with enough lead time.
Risk to paddock vehicles and parking areas, to temporary structures.
Risk to temporary structures and logistics installations. Wind threshold that may govern the safety of certain vehicle categories.
Track days for amateur riders
Beyond official competitions, many circuits offer track days and driving courses. These events have a leaner race-control team, but the safety stakes are identical. Storm Predict also addresses these operators. It is simple to use: a dashboard readable at a glance, alerts that arrive automatically on mobile.
Service limits
Storm Predict does not replace race control or the regulatory safety procedures. It does not predict track conditions. A confidence index is always shown, and race-control decisions must factor in that uncertainty.
Summary of benefits
Storm Predict for motorsport
- Geolocated monitoring of the precise circuit site
- Differentiated alerts: lightning (stand evacuation), hail, gusts
- Predictive trajectories up to 4 hours
- Real-time confidence index on every trajectory
- Tracking available on mobile for race control
- Alert history for regulatory documentation and insurance
- Suited to professional competitions and amateur sessions alike
Protect your riders, your spectators and your circuit.
Every circuit has its specifics. A 30-minute call to see how Storm Predict fits into your safety organization.