Error loading laps data for pre-2018 races

[samhoppen]

I'm using the following code trying to get the laps data from the first race of 2017:

from fastf1 import utils, plotting
import fastf1
from fastf1.core import Laps

YEAR = 2017
RACE = 1

# Load the session
session = fastf1.get_session(YEAR, RACE, 'R')
session.load()

laps = session.laps
drivers = pd.unique(session.laps['Driver'])
teams = pd.unique(session.laps['Team'])

When I do this, I keep getting the following error:

req         WARNING 	DEFAULT CACHE ENABLED! (1.22 GB) C:\Users\sphop\AppData\Local\Temp\fastf1
core           INFO 	Loading data for Australian Grand Prix - Race [v3.2.2]
req            INFO 	No cached data found for session_info. Loading data...
_api           INFO 	Fetching session info data...
logger      WARNING 	Failed to load session info data!
core        WARNING 	Cannot load laps, telemetry, weather, and message data because the relevant API is not supported for this session.
core           INFO 	Finished loading data for 20 drivers: ['5', '44', '77', '7', '33', '19', '11', '55', '26', '31', '27', '36', '2', '14', '20', '18', '3', '9', '30', '8']
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DataNotLoadedError                        Traceback (most recent call last)
Cell In[4], line 5
      2 session = fastf1.get_session(YEAR, RACE, 'R')
      3 session.load()#telemetry = True
----> 5 laps = session.laps
      6 drivers = pd.unique(session.laps['Driver'])
      7 teams = pd.unique(session.laps['Team'])

File ~\anaconda3\Lib\site-packages\fastf1\core.py:1274, in Session.laps(self)
   1268 @property
   1269 def laps(self) -> "Laps":
   1270     """:class:`Laps`: All laps from all drivers driven in this session.
   1271 
   1272     Data is available after calling `Session.load` with ``laps=True``
   1273     """
-> 1274     return self._get_property_warn_not_loaded('_laps')

File ~\anaconda3\Lib\site-packages\fastf1\core.py:1233, in Session._get_property_warn_not_loaded(self, name)
   1231 def _get_property_warn_not_loaded(self, name):
   1232     if not hasattr(self, name):
-> 1233         raise DataNotLoadedError(
   1234             "The data you are trying to access has not been loaded yet. "
   1235             "See `Session.load`"
   1236         )
   1237     return getattr(self, name, None)

DataNotLoadedError: The data you are trying to access has not been loaded yet. See `Session.load`

I'm updated to the latest version of fastf1 (3.2.2) and have looked through the documentation to see if there's anything else I need to do for pre-2018 laps data, but haven't found a solution. Hoping someone can help me out here! Thanks in advance!

[McHouse]

As far as I know, FastF1 telemetry data started in 2018, so previous years are not available.

[samhoppen]

I know the telemetry data wasn't available before then, but I thought the lap time data was available prior to that (maybe I'm wrong).

[theOehrly]

No, the lap timing isn't available either before 2018 on the F1 API.

It is available on Ergast (ergast.com) and that means through the FastF1 Ergast API interface (https://docs.fastf1.dev/ergast.html). But this isn't integrated into the Session and Laps classes. So while you can get the data, you can't get it in the same way.

[samhoppen]

Gotcha, thanks for the info! Is this new with an updated version of fastf1? I vaguely recall being able to pull it from fastf1 like I have above in the past, but maybe I'm misremembering again.

[theOehrly]

I'm very certain that you misremember that. What is/was available is the results data, limited to the information that Ergast provides.