Live Delay, Sync with TV
The live update delay lets you delay delivery of live messages so they better align with what you see on TV or streaming services.
This is especially useful for dashboards and automations, for example flashing lights on a red flag or reacting to safety car deployments, so they happen at the same moment you see them on screen.
Typical broadcast delays
Actual delays vary by provider, but these ranges are common:
• Broadcast TV (satellite, cable, terrestrial): ~5–10 seconds behind • Streaming services: ~20–45 seconds behind, sometimes more • Sports cable / OTT providers: ~45–60 seconds or more depending on provider
By setting the delay accordingly, Home Assistant can react in sync with the live pictures you are watching.
Option 1 - Manual delay adjustment
At its core, Live Delay is a single value, stored in number.f1_live_delay
Changing this value directly updates the Live Delay Controller and delays all live messages. This value represents how many seconds the live data stream should be delayed before it is exposed to sensors.
Everything else in the integration builds on top of this number.
This method is simple and reliable. The guided calibration below is optional.
During the broadcast, they always show the moment the race clock flips to the start time, for example 15:00:00. If you look up an atomic clock online, you'll have an exact reference. Watch the time when the broadcast clock hits the start. So when the broadcast clock shows 15:00:00 and the formation lap starts, the atomic clock reads 15:00:30. Then set a 30-second delay in the configuration.
Option 2 - Guided calibration
The guided workflow helps you measure the delay automatically.
It uses these helper entities:
| Entity | Purpose |
|---|---|
switch.f1_delay_calibration | Arm calibration and start the timer |
button.f1_match_live_delay | Press when TV catches up to commit the delay |
select.f1_live_delay_reference | Choose when the timer starts |
Entity reference
The calibration workflow publishes additional attributes so you can see what it is doing.
The number.f1_live_delay entity also exposes:
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| calibration_mode | string | Calibration mode such as idle, waiting, or running (best effort) |
| calibration_reference | string | Selected reference used for calibration (best effort) |
| calibration_waiting_since | string | ISO‑8601 timestamp when calibration started waiting (best effort) |
| calibration_started_at | string | ISO‑8601 timestamp when the timer started (best effort) |
| calibration_elapsed | number | Elapsed seconds since start (best effort) |
| calibration_timeout_at | string | ISO‑8601 timestamp when calibration times out (best effort) |
| calibration_last_result | number | Most recent saved delay value in seconds (best effort) |
| calibration_message | string | Human-readable status message (best effort) |
The switch.f1_delay_calibration entity exposes:
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| mode | string | Calibration mode such as idle, waiting, or running (best effort) |
| reference | string | Selected reference used for calibration (best effort) |
| message | string | Human-readable status message (best effort) |
| waiting_since | string | ISO‑8601 timestamp when calibration started waiting (best effort) |
| started_at | string | ISO‑8601 timestamp when the timer started (best effort) |
| elapsed | number | Elapsed seconds since start (best effort) |
| timeout_at | string | ISO‑8601 timestamp when calibration times out (best effort) |
Choose the calibration reference
Use select.f1_live_delay_reference to choose when the calibration timer starts:
- Session live - Timer starts at lights out (races) or pit exit open (practice/qualifying). This is the most precise option.
- Formation start (race/sprint) - Timer starts when the formation lap begins. This lets you focus on watching the start rather than pressing a button at lights out.
For races and sprints, formation start is often the better choice. The timer starts automatically when the formation lap begins, so you only need to press the button when you see the formation lap start on TV. Then you can sit back and enjoy the actual race start.
The formation lap start point is estimated with approximately one second accuracy. The live data stream does not provide an exact marker for when the formation lap begins, so there may be a small offset.
Step 1 - Arm the calibration
Turn the switch switch.f1_delay_calibration on to start calibration mode.
What happens next depends on the chosen reference:
Session live reference:
- If the session is not live yet, the integration waits
- When lights go out (race) or pit exit opens (practice/qualifying), the timer starts automatically
- If the session is already live, timing starts immediately
Formation start reference (race/sprint):
- The integration waits for the formation lap marker
- When the formation lap begins, the timer starts automatically
- For practice and qualifying, it falls back to session live behavior
Step 2 - Match the TV broadcast
When you see the reference point on your TV, press button.f1_match_live_delay. The elapsed time is measured and the result is written to number.f1_live_delay.
With session live reference: Press when you see lights out (race) or pit exit open (practice/qualifying).
With formation start reference: Press when you see the formation lap begin on TV.
Practice & Qualifying The session starts when the pit exit turns green. F1 TV usually shows a countdown to this moment.
Qualifying Calibration is only needed for the start of Q1.
Race (session live) The session starts when all five lights go out and the race begins. This is not the formation lap.
Race (formation start) The timer starts when cars begin the formation lap, before the actual race start.