iZone Performance: Bringing Formula 1 Within Your Reach

Simulator technology is bringing motorsports to the public, and it’s awesome.
On the back of every ticket to a motor racing event there is a clear disclaimer: motorsport is dangerous. It goes without saying, climbing into a 200mph rocket and launching yourself along a track isn’t generally considered safe, and talented drivers lose their lives every year as they battle it out. iZone Performance, in Silverstone, England, aims to make the sport that little bit safer and bring motorsport within reach of the masses through simulator technology. We went along to check it out…
On our visit to iZone we we able to switch from Spa-Francorchamps, to Monaco, to Bathurst in Australia, treading the tarmac at some of the world’s most prestigious tracks. We were also able to take the wheel of a range of vehicles, from a Formula One car to a Formula Ford to a classic Ferrari, all in just a click of the mouse. The iZone lets you drive any car, anywhere.
So where did it come from?
Developed by BMW DTM driver and triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx, iZone relies on simulator technology to train racing drivers and aspiring track drivers to become safer and faster before they even head out on to the track. It’s a novel concept, but it’s working and now the facility that it houses in a corner of Silverstone Circuit – the home of the British Grand Prix – has a steady stream of young drivers, experienced racers and newbies alike hitting its simulators for $250 an hour.
The techie stuff.
Two state-of-the-art Cranfied Motorsport simulators take pride of place in the back room. They cost about $170,000 apiece and come with force feedback, a wraparound screen for an immersive experience and a series of airbags, which are placed around the driver to simulate motion. Some Formula One teams have even taken advantage of full four-post rigs that move the simulator. Aside from the cost and space issues, iZone believes the drivers find the rigs unrealistic and actually they can induce motion sickness. Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher agreed.
We can testify that the Sustained Motion Cueing System provided by the airbags works remarkably well on the subconscious to create the feeling of movement, and the wraparound screen drags the driver into the action. Cranfield supply NASCAR and F1 drivers with simulators for their own homes, so authenticity really isn’t an issue.
The technology behind iZone’s simulators comes with a wealth of benefits to the everyday driver, too. Eye tracking software is built into the system, highlighting to a number of young and inexperienced drivers that they simply aren’t looking far enough around a corner to be safe at speed. This is one of the biggest failings in any new driver, apparently, and the software is testimony to the fact that by simply extending our field of vision, we could all become safer drivers both on a track and on the public road.
How could simulator technology disrupt our everyday lives? And where is it heading?
Driver instruction used to be a case of watching the racer out on track, then reviewing videos of them behind the wheel. The simulator allows for much more precise analysis of any driver’s actions and it goes without saying that the bank of computers behind the driver allows for the same sort of data capture that a Formula One car sends back to the pits during a Grand Prix. So braking points, trap speeds, all of it can be analysed to help the driver make small improvements.
The eye tracker and screen could soon be consigned to history, too. iZone is currently testing the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality system. The disruptive potential of the VR world on simulator technology could bring us a complete reality experience. But where does that leave racing on a physical track? Do we need to drive on track at all?
Virtual racing championships are big business around the world and you don’t even need  a Cranfield simulator to get started. A standard PC and a joystick are all you need to go head-to-head with the best virtual drivers in the world, although the top drivers are investing in simulators like iZone’s that simply plug and play with their chosen series.
iRacing is arguably the biggest championship in the world, although console players have Gran Turismo’s online competition, too. The most famous racing game in the world is working with the FIA, the governing body of motorsport, to create an international series that could blow the competition out of the water.
iZone is aimed at the top end of racing both virtual and physical, and real racers that want to find that extra tenth, but simulator technology and virtual driving could be a much bigger deal than it already is in the years ahead. A lucky few could have one of these monster simulators in a spare room to get their adrenaline rush behind the wheel of a virtual supercar, while the rest of us will have to make do with the online championships and a cheaper set-up.
The iZone Performance is merely the new way for driving fanatics to get their thrills in a safe environment. A modern-day supercar has no place on the public road, and trackdays are both expensive and dangerous. Perhaps advances in virtual reality could see fans taking their own simulator home to spend their Sunday mornings in the basement going wheel-to-wheel with other drivers round Monaco, Spa-Francorchamps and Laguna Seca?
Either way, it’s a golden age for simulator technology and virtual driving. The time is now to bag yourself a (virtual) racing title.