One tool I have used to help me in this domain is eye tracking. This allows me to see precisely where a driver is focused, when they make shifts of attention, whether this changes when they are under pressure — and ultimately how their gaze behavior impacts on the lap times.
An example of how I used this in practice comes from work with a driver who I would get to carry out multiple laps in a simulator — usually of the track they would next be racing on. Once they had completed the set number of laps, I would set to work analyzing the data — using their sector times and comparing these to eye movement data thereby allowing me to see any differences in gaze behavior when they were putting in their best sector times, compared with their worst.
I was then able to work with the driver and their coach to develop the most efficient strategies for gathering the necessary information even at top speeds.
Newer developments within the eye tracking field now allow for even more interesting data to be understood while a driver is in action. Through analyzing pupil dilation, we can understand the level of cognitive load a driver is facing and therefore get a better understanding of when they might be at risk of poor decision making. This information is invaluable and can help the race engineer to know when they need to give prompts to keep their driver fully focused, and when they should remain quiet and not give information which could lead to an overload.
Whilst an eye tracker is an important tool for my work with drivers, their gaze behavior is not all I am interested in. There are multiple other factors which will affect their performance from a visual perspective. I will usually start my work with a driver by carrying out a full visual assessment to get an understanding of their visual skills such as peripheral awareness, reaction time, and the speed at which they can move their eyes. I have carried out this type of assessment on drivers such as
Max Verstappen and Alex Albon — with the results going to their performance coaches along with training exercises to improve these visual aspects as well as warm-up activities to ensure they are fully prepared come race time.
In practice, eye tracking is not a replacement for the other methods of visual assessment that I use with athletes. Instead, I see it as a way of expanding and contextualizing them.
For example, using the Vienna Test system to measure Peripheral awareness gives me a precise measure of the visual angle that an athlete can see, under extremely controlled conditions. This is important as it provides a standardized metric that demonstrates the limits of an athlete’s ability, which can then be monitored and re-tested over time. Similarly tests of saccadic eye-speed or reaction time allow me to understand what an athlete is capable of — much like doing a sprint test, in a straight line, to measure top speeds an athlete can run. Using the eye tracker can then show me whether these skills are being used effectively during performance. It provides a bridge between laboratory-based assessment and real-world performance, enabling me to understand the athlete in greater detail and provide them with the most appropriate training to maximize their chance of success.
Learn how Dr. Wimshurst used eye tracking to help golfers elevate their game and improved the performance of biathlon athletes.
Our new Formula 1 world champion, Lando Norris, has also undertaken a visual screening with me several times over the years. Interestingly, his performance coach Jon Malvern has also had me working on projects to provide further insight into Lando’s visual abilities.
An example of this was a few years ago when Lando’s helmet sponsors offered him the opportunity to have different coloured padding inside his helmet. Whilst for many drivers, how this would impact performance was not even considered, Jon had concerns that since this colour would form the very edge of Lando’s visual field, it may affect his driving.
This led to a day of testing, and the results found that there was up to a 15˚ difference in Lando’s peripheral vision and 10% difference in his reaction speed depending on the colour of his helmet interior.
These differences were far more significant than I was expecting and in driving terms could have a huge impact on his performance on the track.
In a sport where the world championship went down to the final race of the 2025 F1 season and was clinched by just 2 points, small details can make all the difference. When race wins come down to fractions of a second, insights from eye tracking and visual assessments can be the difference between winning and losing.
Register for her webinar where she will introduce coaches and sport teachers to the visual foundations of performance and the development of athlete’s visual skills to enhance decision-making, speed and accuracy.
Written by
Dr. Zoe Wimshurst
Owner, Performance Vision
Dr Zoe Wimshurst is a world expert in using the visual system to enhance performance. She works with elite athletes from a wide range of sports including Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen and Football player Cristiano Ronaldo. She has also applied her work to military, counter-terrorism teams as well as police forces and large-scale professional service organizations such as NASDAQ. A former elite athlete herself, Zoe has been working with high performance teams for over a decade. She was approached to work as part of the British Olympic Association prior to London 2012 and around this time she also completed her PhD looking at the visual, perceptual and decision-making skills of elite athletes. Since this time, Zoe has continued to research what it is that sets the elite apart from more novice performers and has published several scientific papers in this field. She regularly uses eye-tracking as a way of gaining insight into the mechanisms underlying high performance behaviors. Zoe is a Chartered Psychologist and Vision Scientist exploring and applying how our visual world can impact on our decision-making and performance.
Nico Hülkenberg is the first driver to wear eye tracking glasses, revealing his visual attention and quick reaction times while driving a Formula 1 car.
What can Tobii Eye Tracking do for you as a racing enthusiast to improve your skills and help you get more out of simulation games such as F1?
Professional driving outfit Chip Ganassi Racing is using eye tracking technology to gain insight into the visual and mental processes of drivers and pit crew members.
Subscribe to our stories about how people are using eye tracking and attention computing.
:quality(80))
:quality(80))
:quality(80))
:quality(80))
:quality(80))
:quality(80))
:quality(80))
