“Good apex.” Over the roar of the Porsche Cayman’s engine, there may be ultimately some Positive reinforcement. One thing has apparently been completed properly. Whereas it’s not unusual to listen to a monotonous robotic voice emanating from a tool mounted to a automobile windscreen, it’s not precisely regular to listen to it whereas out on a race monitor.
Knowledge recorders are nothing new in motorsport. They’ve been used within the higher echelons for many years, and are actually a typical sight at a grassroots stage. Most do the identical elementary job, however the Garmin Catalyst, which was launched in 2020 and which this author examined at Thruxton a couple of weeks in the past, is one thing just a little totally different: it brings driver efficiency – and optimisation – to the forefront.
“So far as we will see and know we’re the one firm to try this,” says Garmin’s Adam Spence. “Everybody else focuses round gathering information for the automobile itself after which individuals should interpret that. We’ve taken a really totally different strategy, which is we need to coach the motive force.
“How are they interacting with the automobile? How are they altering their interplay? And might we optimise that to say, ‘That is how one can get higher’? It’s about the whole lot you ever do on the monitor and saying, ‘Let’s select the most effective bits that we will sew collectively right into a lap you possibly can truly obtain, and let’s put that every one collectively to carry you to that optimum efficiency’.”
Actual-time audio cues similar to our ‘good apex’ encouragement are only one facet of the machine serving to to supply Positive reinforcement.
New Garmin software helps drivers to rapidly work out the place they’ll enhance
Photograph by: David Shepherd Pictures
Regardless of not listening to anything from the Catalyst throughout my time on monitor (hopefully not an indication I used to be that unhealthy), I wasn’t wanting recommendation, with Ben Seyfried, an expert driver coach at Thruxton for greater than 15 years, alongside me.
As we rapidly discover out, the largest promoting level of the Catalyst is accessibility. With an easy-to-use interface, discovering the correct sub-menu is a doddle, however the actual win is how rapidly you possibly can entry the info and video. That’s one thing that impressed 2017 British GT champion Seb Morris when he examined the machine.
“For a driver at my stage even I’d in all probability nonetheless apply it to a monitor day,” he says. “I wouldn’t use it for the teaching aspect, I’d use it due to how rattling fast it’s at accessing the info and the video immediately.
“The machine itself doesn’t have any maps loaded – the whole lot that you simply noticed whenever you went to do Thruxton, the machine is constructing that robotically from what it’s seeing and experiencing from each a sensor perspective, to the digital camera perspective and the GPS” Adam Spence
“That saves you a lot time. You don’t even should get out of the automobile; it provides you the video of your final run and you may see in a short time the place you must discover time. They’ve discovered an amazing hole out there as a result of [normally] it takes so lengthy to get out of the automobile, obtain the info onto the pc and take a look at the video. This takes that out, which is able to give individuals extra monitor time all through the day.”
Footage from each lap is saved onto the machine and it breaks the circuit up into sectors – 9 for Thruxton – permitting the person to not solely watch every lap, however skip immediately to the identical sector from every lap. My line by means of the left-hander after Allard, for instance, initially leaves me with turning lock as I apply the brakes into the 90-degree proper into the Advanced. By watching the video I’m capable of see how I used to be positioning the automobile and enhance subsequent day trip of the pits.
The identical applies for the ultimate chicane, the place lap by lap I’m not solely making use of the brakes later, but in addition on the proper line into the nook. Whereas I can really feel I’m doing this within the second with the encouragement of Seyfried, it’s good to see the gradual development when performed again.
Catalyst reinforces realized traits picked up from teaching
Photograph by: David Shepherd Pictures
The Catalyst additionally affords an ‘optimised lap’ whereby it takes the most effective sector from every session and stitches them into one video to showcase your ‘excellent’ lap, basically showcasing what you’re able to.
Utilizing Garmin’s GPS know-how, it may possibly additionally pinpoint your actual location on circuit and counsel whether or not you’re taking the most effective line, similar to in case you’re handing over too early or utilizing sufficient of the monitor on entry or exit of a nook.
“The machine itself doesn’t have any maps loaded – the whole lot that you simply noticed whenever you went to do Thruxton, the machine is constructing that robotically from what it’s seeing and experiencing from each a sensor perspective, to the digital camera perspective and the GPS,” says Spence.
“It’s the fusion of that world which is admittedly thrilling, as a result of that actually is the primary time you possibly can see that and you may see it relative from one nook to a different nook.”
There’s additionally a lap timer, which signifies in real-time whether or not you’re quicker or slower than your private greatest, and a 3 or five-lap variant – this basically exhibits how constant your greatest laps have been through a proportion, and the decrease that quantity the higher.
It’s an unbelievable little bit of equipment, however as with something there are limitations. The machine doesn’t take into consideration climate, for instance, and neither does it consider different monitor situations similar to if a nook is off-camber or if the asphalt has began to deteriorate in a sure place.
It can also’t differentiate between a front-wheel-drive Renault Clio or a rear-wheel-drive BMW with twice the ability. Sure, you possibly can choose the automobile earlier than heading out, however that is to assist log your run alongside totally different driver profiles quite than the machine performing in another way.
Catalyst has its limitations, with automobile sort not considered
Photograph by: David Shepherd Pictures
The largest stumbling block with the Catalyst, although, considerations truly studying a circuit and the basics of driving. Though it’s capable of enhance efficiency if a driver’s fundamental basis is poor, similar to lacking an apex by a number of toes each lap, it’s not capable of right that essentially incorrect behaviour.
Spence is fast to confess that the Catalyst will not be geared toward full rookies, and its major use is to bolster good driving that has already been instilled by teaching.
It’s an unbelievable little bit of equipment, however as with something there are limitations. The machine doesn’t take into consideration climate, for instance, and neither does it consider different monitor situations similar to if a nook is off-camber or if the asphalt has began to deteriorate in a sure place
“It’s not one thing we’d advocate {that a} full novice can get this and abruptly develop into an excellent driver,” he says. “The design will not be there to switch teaching, it’s there to reinforce it.”
With out Seyfried alongside, I actually wouldn’t have constructed up as a lot as pace. However as a training software, with its on the spot entry to the info and video, there’s no query that the Catalyst will enable drivers to have extra seat time. At £899, and in contrast with different information loggers, it’s additionally fairly priced, even for the newbie market. Simply don’t anticipate it to be that chatty in case you’re nonetheless studying a circuit!
Catalyst supplies on the spot entry to information and video
Photograph by: David Shepherd Pictures