Despite being an outfit with one of the smallest budgets in Formula 1, the Sauber team provided fans with some truly innovative content last year. Although a number of constructors have previously dabbled with virtual reality in the past, the Swiss team put in a season long effort to bring their audience Formula 1 in 360 degrees.
To date, Sauber’s YouTube channel hosts more than a dozen videos that can be viewed in 360°. Current paddock restrictions limit what teams can film at a racetrack which means some ‘videos’ are limited to still snapshots of the weekend’s action.
However, the best videos are those filmed beyond the reaches of Formula One Management where the team can film as much panoramic video as they desire. Marcus Ericsson doing a demo run in Örebro, Sweden is a particular highlight.
Future heads
Some desktop web browsers are capable of displaying these virtual reality videos but they really come to life when coupled with a headset. You can pick up a Google Cardboard viewfinder cheaply from many outlets, strap your mobile phone inside it and spend an afternoon exploring the Racetracks Around the World playlist. It’s an immersive experience and somewhat addictive.
Another decent showcase of VR in action is this roundtable discussion between Ericsson and Felipe Nasr which puts the viewer right in the middle of their conversation.
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Source: Sidepodcast