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Beta Testing

Beta testing lets you try new F1 Sensor behavior before it is part of a stable release. Use this page if you want to test beta versions, report problems clearly, or help validate fixes.

Important recommendations

Beta versions are not guaranteed to be stable. Do not install beta versions in your production Home Assistant instance. Use a separate test environment, development instance, or secondary Home Assistant setup where restarts and temporary issues are acceptable.

What it means to be a beta tester​

As a beta tester, you help by:

  1. Testing new features before they are officially released.
  2. Identifying bugs, regressions, or unexpected behavior.
  3. Providing feedback and improvement suggestions.
  4. Creating clear and well-described GitHub issues.
  5. Following up on reported issues and retesting fixes when needed.

You do not need to be a developer, but it helps if you have basic Home Assistant knowledge, can read logs, and can describe problems with enough context to reproduce them.

Install a beta version​

To test the latest beta version, install it through HACS by redownloading the integration and selecting the beta release.

  1. Open Home Assistant.
  2. Open HACS.
  3. Go to Integrations.
  4. Open F1 Sensor.
  5. Select the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
  6. Select Redownload.
  7. Choose the latest beta version from the version list.
  8. Confirm and complete the installation.
  9. Restart Home Assistant.

After installation, verify the installed version under the integration details. Enable debug logging if you plan to report issues.

warning

Always read the release notes before updating to a beta release. Beta releases may include unfinished behavior, temporary limitations, or changes that need extra validation.

Enable debug logging​

Debug logs are often required when you report beta issues. Follow Debug Logging and Logs before reproducing the problem.

Test Development replay mode​

Development replay mode lets you run the integration with recorded live timing data. This is useful for testing dashboards, automations, and entity behavior without waiting for an active Formula 1 session.

About replay dumps​

A replay dump is a real-time recording of a live session. Timing between events is preserved, so a full replay can take up to three hours to complete.

The replay usually starts with a pre session phase where weather and session metadata update continuously. When the session goes live, cars begin running and other sensors such as tyres, laps, and timing become active.

Replay dumps

You can find replay dumps in the F1 Sensor repository.

Step 1 - Enable replay mode​

  1. Open Home Assistant.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Open Devices & services.
  4. Select F1 Sensor.
  5. Select Configure.
  6. Set Operation mode to Development.
  7. Enter the absolute file path to your replay dump in Replay dump path.
  8. Submit the form.

The integration reloads immediately.

Development mode

Step 2 - Verify replay mode​

Check the logs for this message:

Starting F1 Sensor in development replay mode

If the replay dump path is missing, invalid, or unreadable, the integration falls back to the live SignalR connection.

Report issues and feedback​

Clear issue reports are essential for improving the integration. Use GitHub Issues for bugs, errors, and broken functionality:

https://github.com/Nicxe/f1_sensor/issues

Use GitHub Discussions for questions, ideas, and general feedback:

https://github.com/Nicxe/f1_sensor/discussions/190
info

Using the correct channel helps keep development focused and easier to follow.

Write a useful issue​

When creating an issue, include:

  1. The exact F1 Sensor version.
  2. Your Home Assistant version.
  3. Whether you are running Live mode or Development replay mode.
  4. Whether you are using a beta release or F1TV Auth.
  5. A clear description of the problem.
  6. What you expected to happen.
  7. What actually happened.
  8. Relevant debug logs from Debug Logging and Logs.

Screenshots, screen recordings, or dashboard examples are helpful when they show sensor states, timing behavior, or visual problems.

As a beta tester, you may be asked to test a proposed fix, verify a new release, or provide more details. Following up on your own issues helps close them faster.