F1 Race Countdown Bot 🏁

An automated Python bot that posts daily Formula 1 race countdown tweets with visual progress bars. The bot tracks the time between F1 races and posts daily updates showing the progress towards the next race.

About the Project

This bot automatically posts tweets at 3:00 PM IST daily, displaying:

• Race Progress: Percentage completion between races
• Visual Progress Bars: ASCII art showing countdown progress
• Race Information: Current and next race details
• Smart Season Handling: Automatically transitions between seasons

The bot uses official F1 data from the FastF1 library and includes robust error handling with Fibonacci retry intervals for data fetch failures.

Features

• 🏎️ Daily Automated Tweets at 3:00 PM IST
• 📊 Visual Progress Tracking with ASCII progress bars
• 🔄 Off-Season Handling with automatic season transitions
• 🛡️ Robust Error Handling with smart retry mechanisms
• 🔔 Discord Notifications for success/error alerts
• 🧪 Debug Mode for testing without posting tweets

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.13+
• Twitter Developer Account
• Discord Server (optional, for notifications)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/F1-script.git
   cd F1-script

2. Set up virtual environment

   python3.13 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Configure the bot

   cp config.ini.template config.ini
   cp env_example.txt .env

4. Set up Twitter API credentials

   • Go to Twitter Developer Portal
   • Create a new app and generate API keys
   • Edit .env file with your credentials:

     TWITTER_CONSUMER_KEY=your_consumer_key_here
     TWITTER_CONSUMER_SECRET=your_consumer_secret_here
     TWITTER_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_access_token_here
     TWITTER_ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your_access_token_secret_here

5. Set up Discord webhooks (optional)

   • Create webhooks in your Discord server
   • Add to .env file:

     DISCORD_WEBHOOK_URL=your_webhook_url_here
     DISCORD_SUCCESS_WEBHOOK_URL=your_success_webhook_url_here

6. Test the setup

   python verify_setup.py
   python f1_countdown_bot.py --debug

Usage

Running Modes

Command	Purpose	Posts Tweet
python f1_countdown_bot.py --debug	Test mode (no tweets)	❌
python f1_countdown_bot.py --test	Single tweet test	✅
python f1_countdown_bot.py	Production mode	✅

Example Tweet Output

F1 Race Countdown: Monaco Grand Prix
52.00% to go!
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 52.00%
#F1 #Formula1 #Countdown

Configuration

Edit config.ini to customize:

[settings]
tweet_time = 15:00          # 24-hour format
timezone = Asia/Kolkata     # Your timezone
cache_location = ./cache/   # Cache directory

[logging]
log_level = INFO
log_file = f1_countdown_bot.log

Deployment

PythonAnywhere (Recommended)

1. Upload files to PythonAnywhere
2. Set up virtual environment and install dependencies
3. Create .env file with your credentials
4. Set up scheduled task to run daily at your desired time

Docker

FROM python:3.13-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
COPY . .
CMD ["python", "f1_countdown_bot.py"]

Cron Job (Linux/macOS)

# Add to crontab -e
0 15 * * * cd /path/to/F1-script && source venv/bin/activate && python f1_countdown_bot.py

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Import errors: Run pip install -r requirements.txt
• Authentication failed: Check .env file credentials
• No race data: Check internet connection
• Discord not working: Run python test_discord.py

Debug Mode

Run in debug mode to see detailed output:

python f1_countdown_bot.py --debug

File Structure

F1-script/
├── f1_countdown_bot.py      # Main bot script
├── config.ini.template      # Configuration template
├── env_example.txt          # Environment variables example
├── verify_setup.py          # Setup verification
├── test_discord.py          # Discord webhook test
├── requirements.txt         # Python dependencies
├── README.md               # This file
└── cache/                  # FastF1 cache directory

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is open source. Please ensure compliance with Twitter's API terms of service and FastF1's usage guidelines.

Support

For issues or questions:

1. Check the troubleshooting section
2. Review log files for errors
3. Run in debug mode for detailed output
4. Open an issue on the repository

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Note: This bot requires constant internet connection and should be run on a reliable server for uninterrupted operation.