The sound and psychoacoustic analysis of 2023 Formula 1 race

Abstract

The F1 Race is one of the most popular international sports events in the world, attracting a huge number of tourists every year. However, the sound emission may lead to hearing damage or unpleasantness from a psychological or physiological perspective. This study selected two sites near the Singapore Formula 1 Night Race racing tracks in 2023 to record and compare the noise profiles with the respective ambient conditions. Both the regular sound pressure level and the psychoacoustic analysis will be included. The A-weighted Leq value was over 95 dBA near the straight racing tracks during the Formula 1 Singapore Airline Singapore Grand Prix session, and the LAmax value can reach more than 120 dBA. Meanwhile, the LAeq and LAmax values near the bend during the afternoon race sessions were over 91 dBA and 117 dBA. Besides, the average LCeq values can be even higher. Additionally, the psychoacoustic parameters of loudness, sharpness and roughness differentiate the acoustic character at the bends and straight tracks. With similar LAeq and LAmax values, the averaged loudness and sharpness values were significantly higher at the straight tracks, while the roughness values were higher at the bend.

Keywords

• Hearing loss
• Formula 1 race
• Psychoacoustics
• Noise mapping
• Soundscape