> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://playbook.smedleygroup.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Predicted Pylon

> The engine's predicted finishing order as a timing pylon: who wins, who is lapped, and on which tyre.

## Overview

The Predicted Pylon takes the strategy engine's predicted remainder of the race and renders its **finish** as a timing tower: predicted classification, predicted gap to the winner, and the tyre each driver is predicted to finish on. Reach for it when you want the answer rather than the working: the Strategy Table shows the options, this shows where the engine thinks they end up.

> [!NOTE]
>
> This is the same tower component the live [Timing Tower](/software/internal/watchparty/widgets/timing-tower) uses, but read-only: no driver selection, no compound editing. Everything on it is a prediction, not a classification.

***

## What It Shows

![The predicted finishing order as of mid-race (Madrid 2026)](https://mintcdn.com/smedley_group/zwm6wmhxgH8zyABx/images/watchparty/predicted-pylon.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=zwm6wmhxgH8zyABx\&q=85\&s=46c60545245bee6c0907d47a581daf52)

A caption above the pylon reads "Predicted finish (lap N), as of lap M": the final lap present in the snapshot, and the lap whose solve produced it.

| Element | Meaning |
| - | - |
| Position | Predicted classification, top to bottom |
| Driver | Code and team colour from the session roster |
| Gap | Predicted gap to the predicted winner, in seconds; the leader's own row reads "Gap" |
| +N LAP | A driver predicted to finish laps down, ordered by laps down first, then by predicted time |
| OUT | A driver the snapshot lists as retired, or one whose predicted time is the engine's unreachable sentinel |
| Tyre | The compound the driver is predicted to be on at the finish, when the snapshot names one |

The ordering rule is explicit: drivers predicted to complete the full distance first, ranked on predicted cumulative time; then lapped drivers, by laps down and then time; then drivers who are out. Ties fall back to car number so the order is always total.

***

## Data Behind It

* **Insight**: `strategy_snapshot`, on `vpw:v1:{session_key}:insight:strategy_snapshot`. `model_version` is the composite `engine_version+WRAPPER_VERSION`, currently `0.5.0-interim` and `b1.9.0`.
* The pylon is derived by `screens/strategyDerive.ts`'s `buildPredictedPylonEntries` from the snapshot's own predicted race-history rows: the highest lap present in the snapshot is the finish lap, and each driver's last row at or before it gives their predicted time.
* It follows the same **as-of** rule as the other data widgets in the suite: the latest solved lap at or before the playhead.
* Driver identity and team colour come from the session roster, not from the engine.

***

## States

| State | Behaviour |
| - | - |
| No solved snapshot as of the playhead | The suite's shared empty caption, explaining why nothing has been solved yet |
| Snapshot present but carries no predicted laps | "No predicted laps in this snapshot" |
| Driver retired in the snapshot | Rendered as OUT, below every running driver |
| Unreachable predicted time | Treated as OUT rather than plotted as an enormous gap |
| Race-only | Outside a race the widget renders "Session is not a race"; the app never computes a strategy bundle for a non-race session |

***

## FAQ

> **Why does this disagree with the live Timing Tower?**
>
> It should. The live tower is where cars are now. This is where the engine predicts they will be at the flag, given the strategies it currently favours.

> **Why is a driver shown +1 LAP when they are on the lead lap now?**
>
> The prediction runs to the end of the race. A driver predicted to lose a lap before the flag is shown as the engine expects them to finish, not as they stand at the playhead.

> **Does the engine model traffic?**
>
> No. The interim engine models no traffic and no lapped-car interaction, so treat close predicted gaps as indicative rather than decided.

***

## Next Steps

> **[Predicted Race History](/software/internal/watchparty/strategy/predicted-race-history)**
>
> The same prediction as traces rather than a finishing order.

> **[Strategy Table](/software/internal/watchparty/strategy/table)**
>
> The ranked options behind each driver's predicted finish.

> **[Strategy Status](/software/internal/watchparty/strategy/status)**
>
> Why this snapshot is the one being shown.

> **[Race Strategy Tool](/software/internal/watchparty/strategy/index)**
>
> How the whole suite fits together.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.