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Neither Red Bull Ampol Racing Camaro had a working video stream output during the Saturday qualifying session and race.
Supercars’ technical department referred the matter to the Motorsport Australia stewards, alleging the team had contravened rules by changing settings to disable the feed.
The feed – which features onboard vision overlayed with basic data channels – is required to be available to fans via the category’s official app.
Triple Eight is known to be against such vision and data being publicly available, as other teams can also view it and gain insight into their performance.
This, together with the team’s usual high standards and attention to detail, raised suspicions in the paddock that the breach had been deliberate.
However, it emerged in the stewards hearing that the feed had been disabled due to an incompatibility between the version of the VBOX (camera) software being used by Supercars and an earlier version being used by the team.
The exact version of the software is not mandated and the allegation that the team had breached a rule prohibiting modifications to the software was therefore dismissed.
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Regardless, Triple Eight could still have faced punishment for breaching a rule in the supplementary regulations requiring the stream to be working.
The wording of that rule, though, specifically states “the team will be required to ensure that the video stream output for judicial purposes is functioning in the correct manner.”
As the footage was still available to view post-race on an SD card, stewards deemed it had served its judiciary purpose and elected to take no further action.
The Symmons Plains streaming issue was the latest technical saga to involve Triple Eight, following its high-profile disqualification from the 2023 season-opener in Newcastle.
Speaking to Speedcafe on Sunday night at Symmons Plains, Dutton shared his displeasure with how the process played out.
“The really annoying thing with it all is we were investigated because it looked like we did something intentionally wrong, which you can understand that could be assumed,” he said.
“It was clearly evident that we hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Supercars kept chasing blood, even though there isn’t a stipulated software version to use. We followed the exact process to the letter of the rule and outside our control it’s failed.
“Then when it was proven beyond doubt that we did not do this intentionally, the stewards were good about it but Supercars kept chasing blood. That’s a bit disappointing.”
According to Dutton, the software mismatch stemmed back to a post-Sydney Motorsport Park ride day, where teams were allowed to change the software to better suit video requirements for passengers.
“We changed it for the ride day, and then put the Supercars control config back in for the test day and then redid it for this event,” Dutton said.
“Problem is, the version of the software we downloaded from (the VBOX) website is a different version to what Supercars have.
“The software that Supercars had had a tick box option where you could say ‘don’t export the vision on HDMI’.
“The software we had didn’t have that option, you had no option to turn it off.”
The hearing had also explored whether Triple Eight had done enough to resolve the issue once informed that the stream was not working.
Supercars argued that the fact Triple Eight did not check on any of the available apps if the stream was working meant it was still in breach of the rules.
“To do that we actually have to stop what we’re doing in a practice session, don’t focus on car speed, what we’re here to do,” Dutton argued.
“It’s not live streaming when it’s not a session, so you can’t actually check properly when it’s not live streaming.”
The streaming saga is particularly unusual in that the system was introduced to increase fan engagement, yet is an added layer of complication for Supercars’ technical department to manage.
The Teradek devices that stream the footage were added to the Gen3 cars to coincide with the launch of the new Supercars app ahead of last year’s Bathurst 1000.
They connect via HDMI cable to the VBOX camera system that was already in place for judicial purposes.
Asked what needs to happen to avoid a repeat of the Symmons situation, Dutton added: “From a team operational point of view, the system is a little bit clunky to get working.
“So some better clarity, which is part of the learning from Supercars, to say ‘OK, look, this file was produced in this version of software, use that version’.
“And then every team will go, ‘OK, we’ll use that version’, and then the chance of mistakes happening like this are much reduced.
“Ultimately, whether it should be broadcast or not, the decision has been made to do it, so we’re obligated to provide that and we spend a fair bit of time to try and make sure that works.
“To make it a more foolproof software so we can deliver that to the fans is something we’d like to happen.”
