PACE-MAP is a long-term research and innovation project.
Led by Pioneered Athlete Performance (PAP) in collaboration with Swansea University’s world-renowned A-STEM Research Centre, its purpose is simple but ambitious:
To advance scientific understanding in motorsport human performance and to translate those insights directly into real-world performance for drivers and race-team personnel.
PACE-MAP represents the first full-time, dedicated research partnership in the world to study human performance across elite motorsport.
By bridging the gap between practitioners in the field and academic researchers, the programme ensures that every finding has a clear path from laboratory to track.
Our Mission:
To build the world’s most comprehensive evidence base for the physical, physiological, and cognitive demands of motorsport and use that knowledge to design better, safer, and more effective methods of performance preparation.
Key Objectives
PACE-MAP has a number of key objectives, including:
Investigate the range of demands imposed upon motorsport athletes, including detailed reviews of driver and pit-crew performance.
Track male & female driver-athletes across the full motorsport pathway; from junior karting to elite formula levels, to enhance our understanding of long-term athlete development (LTAD).
Translate findings into practical solutions; such as improved heat-stress management, fatigue mitigation strategies, and new assessment protocols for cervical spine and neck function.
Facilities & Research Capability
PACE-MAP draws upon the advanced testing infrastructure of Swansea University Bay Campus. The university also holds a strong global standing, placing in the global top 40 for the Times Higher Education Impact rankings 2025.
Facilities include physiology and biomechanics laboratories, indoor and outdoor track facilities, and the 50-metre Wales National Pool. These resources allow for world-class data collection, testing, and applied experimentation that directly inform the training and recovery strategies we use at PAP.
From Research to Practice
The findings generated through PACE-MAP underpin PAP’s applied work with drivers and teams. Every insight, from hydration strategy to cognitive load management, feeds into the development of our training systems, on-track support methods, and athlete monitoring processes. This direct feedback loop ensures that the science does not stay in the lab; it becomes part of the everyday performance environment for every PAP-supported athlete.
Partner with PACE-MAP
We welcome partnerships with organisations, brands, and researchers who share our vision for advancing human performance in motorsport. If you have a research proposal, funding opportunity, or technology that could contribute to this mission, we would be delighted to explore collaboration.
