Vision Pro’s viral Lapz app put on hold after F1 complaint

Lapz, the Apple Vision Pro app that puts Formula One races in mixed reality, is on hold after F1 asked it to stop using its content, as reported by UploadVR. In a message posted to its Discord channel, Lapz says it halted distribution through TestFlight while it explores “licensing opportunities with various racing leagues and tech partners.”

“F1® have respectfully asked us to discontinue the use of their F1®TV broadcast rights in our platform for the time being while we continue to advance our roadmap and enhance the beta experience,” the message says.

Lapz started out as just a concept video created by designer John LePore. However, the video garnered a lot of attention, leading LePore to work with a group of developers to create an early version of the app later launched through TestFlight in July.

Lapz uses web views to display races on a virtual screen, while also allowing F1 fans to keep track of each racer’s position on a 3D map. While the app itself is free, testers have to link their F1 Pro subscription in order to use it. The Verge reached out to F1 with a request for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.

For now, the future of Lapz is unclear, whether it remains an F1-focused app or allows users to watch other motorsports. In a reply on Discord, Lapz said if its dispute with F1 isn’t resolved, Apple “may be required to shut down our TestFlight.”