f1-cli

name

f1-cli

description

Query Formula 1 data using the f1-cli command-line tool (wraps OpenF1 API). Use when the user asks about F1 race results, lap times, driver standings, pit stops, telemetry, weather, team radio, overtakes, tire strategy, or any Formula 1 statistics. Also use when asked to compare drivers, analyze race performance, look up session data, or retrieve real-time F1 information. Triggers on mentions of F1, Formula 1, Grand Prix, specific driver names (Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris), or racing data queries. Even casual questions like "who won the last race" or "how fast was Max's fastest lap" should use this skill.

f1-cli — Formula 1 Data CLI

A Go CLI wrapping the OpenF1 API for querying F1 telemetry, timing, and session data.

Installation

brew tap barronlroth/tap
brew install f1-cli

Or from source:

go install github.com/barronlroth/f1-cli/cmd/f1@latest

The binary name is f1.

Quick Reference

Global Flags (apply to all commands)

Flag	Description
--json	Output as JSON (default: table)
--csv	Output as CSV
--session KEY	Session key — number or latest
--meeting KEY	Meeting key — number or latest
--driver DRIVER	Driver number (44) or 3-letter acronym (HAM)
--limit N	Limit results returned
--filter EXPR	Raw API filter, repeatable (e.g. speed>=300)

Commands → API Endpoints

Command	Endpoint	What it returns
f1 drivers	/drivers	Driver info: name, team, number, acronym
f1 sessions	/sessions	Session list (FP1-3, Quali, Sprint, Race)
f1 meetings	/meetings	Grand Prix weekends (extra: --year, --country)
f1 laps	/laps	Lap times, sector times, speed traps
f1 telemetry	/car_data	Speed, RPM, gear, throttle, brake, DRS at ~3.7 Hz
f1 pit	/pit	Pit stop timing and duration
f1 positions	/position	Position changes throughout session
f1 intervals	/intervals	Gap to leader and car ahead (race only)
f1 standings drivers	/championship_drivers	Driver championship points (race sessions)
f1 standings teams	/championship_teams	Constructor standings (race sessions)
f1 weather	/weather	Track temp, air temp, humidity, wind, rain
f1 race-control	/race_control	Flags, safety car, incidents
f1 radio	/team_radio	Team radio recording URLs
f1 stints	/stints	Tire compound and stint laps
f1 overtakes	/overtakes	Position exchanges between drivers

Usage Patterns

Finding the right session

Most commands need --session. Start with latest for the most recent session, or find a specific one:

# List sessions for the latest meeting
f1 sessions --meeting latest

# Find a specific Grand Prix
f1 meetings --year 2025 --country Singapore

# Then use the session_key from the output
f1 laps --session 9161 --driver VER

Driver identification

The --driver flag accepts either a number or a 3-letter acronym. The CLI resolves acronyms automatically via the API.

# These are equivalent
f1 laps --session latest --driver 1
f1 laps --session latest --driver VER

Common driver acronyms: VER (Verstappen), NOR (Norris), HAM (Hamilton), LEC (Leclerc), PIA (Piastri), SAI (Sainz), RUS (Russell), ALO (Alonso).

Filtering with comparison operators

The --filter flag passes raw query params to the API. Supports >=, <=, >, < operators. Can be repeated.

# Cars going over 315 km/h
f1 telemetry --session 9159 --driver 55 --filter "speed>=315"

# Pit stops under 2.5 seconds
f1 pit --session latest --filter "stop_duration<2.5"

# Combine multiple filters
f1 telemetry --session latest --driver VER --filter "speed>=300" --filter "throttle>=95"

# Laps under 90 seconds
f1 laps --session latest --filter "lap_duration<90"

Output formats

# Default: aligned table
f1 drivers --session latest

# JSON for piping to jq or other tools
f1 telemetry --session latest --driver VER --json | jq '.[0].speed'

# CSV for spreadsheets
f1 laps --session latest --driver HAM --csv > hamilton_laps.csv

Common Workflows

"Who won the last race?"

# Always use standings for final race results
f1 standings drivers --session latest

Do NOT use f1 positions for race results. Positions is a time series — it records every position change throughout the session. Using --limit on positions gives you the start of the race, not the finish. Use f1 standings drivers for the final classification.

"Compare two drivers' lap times"

f1 laps --session latest --driver VER --json > /tmp/ver.json
f1 laps --session latest --driver NOR --json > /tmp/nor.json
# Then compare the JSON files

"What happened during the race?" (incidents, flags)

f1 race-control --session latest

"Tire strategy breakdown"

f1 stints --session latest --driver VER

"Weather conditions during the session"

f1 weather --session latest --limit 10

"Fastest pit stops"

f1 pit --session latest --filter "stop_duration<3" --json | jq 'sort_by(.stop_duration)'

Important Gotchas

• --limit is client-side only. The OpenF1 API does not support a limit query parameter. The CLI fetches all results then truncates locally. This means large telemetry/location queries still hit the API fully — use --filter to narrow server-side when possible.
• --filter is server-side. Filters like speed>=300 are sent to the API and reduce the response. Always prefer --filter over --limit for performance.
• positions is a time series, not a result. It records every position change during a session. To get final race results, use f1 standings drivers --session <key>, not f1 positions. Using positions --limit N gives you lap 1 grid order, not the finish.
• Driver numbers change between seasons. Don't hardcode driver numbers — use acronyms (VER, HAM, NOR) which the CLI resolves automatically per session.
• Norris is now #1. For the 2026 season, Lando Norris drives car #1 (as reigning champion). Verstappen is #3.

API Notes

• Data availability: Historical data from 2023 season onwards. No auth needed.
• Rate limits: 3 requests/second, 30 requests/minute (free tier). The CLI handles rate limiting internally with retry on 429.
• latest keyword: Works for both --session and --meeting to get the most recent.
• Intervals and overtakes: Only available during race sessions, not practice or qualifying.
• Championship standings: Only available for race sessions.
• Telemetry and location: High-frequency data (~3.7 Hz) — use --filter to narrow results server-side, then --limit to cap output.
• Off-season: --session latest returns 404 when no sessions exist. Use a known session_key from a past season instead.