A ‘what if’ piece of speculative fiction about a possible future that could result from the systemic forces changing our world.
// How will Formula One respond when human augmentation becomes common?
Hello there, Mark Thompson here. Welcome back to our live coverage of the start of Formula One’s 2061 season. Coming to you from the Lockheed broadcast booth, we’ll be providing you live human commentary throughout the day, along with our ongoing AI analysis streams.
While the drivers and crews make last-minute adjustments here at the Suzuka Circuit, let’s get to the topic that has been dominating headlines, streams, and the nanosphere - the 1% rule. Over to Dr. Zhang, our cybernetics expert, to walk us through this year’s biggest rule change.
Dr. Zhang - “Thanks Mark. I’m Dr. Caiji Zhang and let’s dive right in. The “1% rule” limits driver cybernetic and artificial augmentation to a maximum 1% of their body mass.
With the first successful full spinal replacement a decade ago years ago, the FIA was faced with a critical decision: What role do humans play in F1 racing? How much should human skill and intuition remain at the core of the sport?
Without restrictions, the drivers would be no more than drones, given how far human augmentation has come. Most modern militaries' front-line troops and vehicles are drones, either piloted by remote humans or autonomous agents that abide by the 2038 Geneva AI Convention.
Forcing drivers to be fully un-augmented is not an option, as over 98% of the intra-asteroid belt population have implanted data ports to access the nanosphere.
Mark - “Plus, it would remove the star appeal of the drivers and the sponsorship deals (and tabloid headlines) they create.
Dr. Zhang - “Tabloid headlines… there you go with your metachronisms again.
Back to the 1% rule. To ensure that the essence of human skill and intuition remains at the core of the sport, the FIA set a limit of 1%, forcing teams to decide which elements of the driver to augment or replace entirely. A fully cybernetic conversion of the brain, eyes, spinal cord, central nervous system, heart, lungs, and hands is roughly 5 to 6 percent of the mass of the human body. Even a 50% augmentation of those core elements will violate the rule. The strategies of the teams are quite varied in response.
Mark - “That's so true. Mercedes opted for primarily augmented the vascular system, to enable enduring higher G-forces through turns and acceleration. Red Bull went heavy on increasing vision and neural reaction times. And then the Anduril team is doubling down on musculature and bone reinforcement for improved steering wheel control.
Dr. Zhang - “Given the wide variety of tracks this year, we will see which of these strategies play out. Especially for the Malapert Circuit on the Lunar South Pole, for obvious reasons.
Mark - “Right you are. The drivers and their gravitational generators are sure to get a workout there. And that is part of the reason why Formula One has endured for 111 years. It is a place where technology, sustainability, and innovation converge. Each team brings a unique blend of advanced technologies, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in motorsports. And it looks like we are getting ready to get started. Let’s go to our reporter trackside…