Formula 1 overhauls Biggin Hill hub to process 650TB per race

The successful transition to a heavy remote production model allows F1 to scale its 24-race calendar without exponentially increasing its logistical carbon footprint. By centralizing the bulk of its processing power at Biggin Hill, F1 has decoupled broadcast quality from on-site equipment volume, setting a benchmark for ultra-low-latency remote sports production. This architecture specifically addresses the challenge of managing massive data spikes during critical windows like qualifying, where real-time narrative shifting is required. Watch for further adoption of liquid cooling across other Tier-1 sports hubs as AI-driven data demands outpace traditional air-cooled high-performance computing limits.

The expansion at Biggin Hill is part of a multi-year technology roadmap designed to support Formula 1’s rising global viewership, which reached 827 million in 2023. Per The Race (November 2025), the virtualization of the broadcast process has effectively turned the racetrack into 'the remote site,' while Biggin Hill serves as the fixed mission control. This shift was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced F1 to condense a five-year remote production plan into just three months during the 2020 season.

Beyond traditional broadcasting, the Biggin Hill facility has recently broadened its scope to include the burgeoning sim racing sector. Per Sponsorship.org (April 2026), Lenovo expanded its partnership to become the Official Technology Provider for the F1 Sim Racing World Championship. The facility now hosts these virtual events, utilizing Lenovo Legion hardware to broadcast all 12 rounds across F1’s digital platforms. This integration leverages the same high-speed infrastructure used for the main World Feed, demonstrating how F1 is consolidating disparate content streams under a single tech stack.

F1's infrastructure is also heavily reliant on long-term networking and cloud partners. Per Technology Magazine (September 2025), Tata Communications has provided the underlying subsea fiber network since 2012, moving data from circuits to the M&TC in under 200 milliseconds. Additionally, AWS has collaborated with F1 since 2018 to deploy 24 machine learning-driven 'F1 Insights' for live TV. The move toward Lenovo Neptune Liquid Cooling at the M&TC represents the latest efficiency layer, as local on-premises hardware must now process more AI-heavy workloads to support these advanced graphic integrations.