fix(compare): gap deltas beyond reference laps

Reference-null laps now emit null deltas for all drivers and exclude that
lap window from aligned cumulative totals so later comparisons stay sane.
Challenger-null behavior is unchanged. Compare tab meta documents the policy.

Closes #46

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>

frontend/src/components/CompareView.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'
 import { fetchLapsComparison, fetchTelemetry } from '../api'
 import {
@@ -57,16 +57,23 @@ export function CompareView({ sessionKey, results, drivers }: Props) {
     [results, drivers],
   )
 
+  const previousSessionKey = useRef(sessionKey)
   const [driverA, setDriverA] = useState<number | null>(initialPair?.[0] ?? null)
   const [driverB, setDriverB] = useState<number | null>(initialPair?.[1] ?? null)
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (previousSessionKey.current !== sessionKey) {
+      previousSessionKey.current = sessionKey
+      setDriverA(initialPair?.[0] ?? null)
+      setDriverB(initialPair?.[1] ?? null)
+      return
+    }
+
     if (driverA != null && driverB != null) return
-    const pair = defaultCompareDriverNumbers(results, drivers)
-    if (!pair) return
-    setDriverA(pair[0])
-    setDriverB(pair[1])
-  }, [results, drivers, driverA, driverB])
+    if (!initialPair) return
+    setDriverA(initialPair[0])
+    setDriverB(initialPair[1])
+  }, [sessionKey, initialPair, driverA, driverB])
 
   const pair = useMemo((): [number, number] | null => {
     if (driverA == null || driverB == null || driverA === driverB) return null
@@ -222,7 +229,9 @@ export function CompareView({ sessionKey, results, drivers }: Props) {
         <div>
           <div className="compare-section-title">Race pace</div>
           <div className="compare-section-meta">
-            Cumulative lap-time delta vs {referenceLabel ?? 'reference'}
+            Cumulative lap-time delta vs {referenceLabel ?? 'reference'}. Deltas are plotted
+            only where the reference lap is valid; gaps appear when the reference has no lap
+            time.
           </div>
         </div>
         <SectionState

frontend/src/lib/delta.ts

@@ -21,15 +21,31 @@ export function formatDeltaSeconds(delta: number): string {
   return `${sign}${delta.toFixed(1)}s`
 }
 
-function buildCumulative(lapTimes: ReadonlyArray<number | null>): number[] {
+/**
+ * Cumulative lap time aligned to reference-valid laps only.
+ * Laps where the reference is null are skipped for every series so later deltas
+ * do not compare against a frozen baseline while challengers keep accumulating.
+ */
+function buildAlignedCumulative(
+  lapTimes: ReadonlyArray<number | null>,
+  referenceLapTimes: ReadonlyArray<number | null>,
+): number[] {
   const cumulative: number[] = []
   let running = 0
-  for (const lap of lapTimes) {
-    if (lap !== null) {
+  const length = Math.max(lapTimes.length, referenceLapTimes.length)
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+    if (referenceLapTimes[i] == null) {
+      cumulative.push(running)
+      continue
+    }
+    const lap = lapTimes[i]
+    if (lap != null) {
       running += lap
     }
     cumulative.push(running)
   }
+
   return cumulative
 }
 
@@ -47,7 +63,8 @@ function resolveReference(
 /**
  * Compute per-lap cumulative time delta for each non-reference driver.
  * Positive = behind reference; negative = ahead.
- * Null laps carry cumulative forward but emit null in deltas (skip when plotting).
+ * Deltas are only emitted where the reference lap is valid; reference-null laps
+ * gap every series. Challenger-null laps gap only that driver's line.
  */
 export function computeCumulativeDeltas(
   series: ReadonlyArray<DeltaSeries>,
@@ -56,24 +73,22 @@ export function computeCumulativeDeltas(
   const reference = resolveReference(series, referenceLabel)
   if (!reference) return []
 
-  const refCumulative = buildCumulative(reference.lapTimes)
+  const refLapTimes = reference.lapTimes
+  const refCumulative = buildAlignedCumulative(refLapTimes, refLapTimes)
 
   return series
     .filter((s) => s.label !== reference.label)
     .map((driver) => {
-      const driverCumulative = buildCumulative(driver.lapTimes)
+      const driverCumulative = buildAlignedCumulative(driver.lapTimes, refLapTimes)
       const lapCount = Math.max(driver.lapTimes.length, refCumulative.length)
       const deltas: (number | null)[] = []
 
       for (let i = 0; i < lapCount; i++) {
-        if (driver.lapTimes[i] === null) {
+        if (refLapTimes[i] == null || driver.lapTimes[i] == null) {
           deltas.push(null)
           continue
         }
-        const refValue = refCumulative[i] ?? refCumulative[refCumulative.length - 1] ?? 0
-        const driverValue =
-          driverCumulative[i] ?? driverCumulative[driverCumulative.length - 1] ?? 0
-        deltas.push(driverValue - refValue)
+        deltas.push(driverCumulative[i] - refCumulative[i])
       }
 
       return {

frontend/src/test/compare-view.test.tsx

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
-import { render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
 import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query'
 import { CompareView } from '../components/CompareView'
 import type { Driver, EnrichedResult, LapsComparisonResponse } from '../types'
@@ -158,13 +158,89 @@ const comparison: LapsComparisonResponse = {
   ],
 }
 
-function renderCompareView() {
+const nextSessionResults: EnrichedResult[] = [
+  {
+    driver_number: 16,
+    position: 1,
+    name_acronym: 'LEC',
+    full_name: 'Charles Leclerc',
+    team_name: 'Ferrari',
+    team_colour: 'E8002D',
+    dnf: false,
+    dns: false,
+    dsq: false,
+    duration: null,
+    gap_to_leader: null,
+    number_of_laps: 57,
+    points: 25,
+    session_key: 9550,
+    meeting_key: 1234,
+  },
+  {
+    driver_number: 55,
+    position: 2,
+    name_acronym: 'SAI',
+    full_name: 'Carlos Sainz',
+    team_name: 'Williams',
+    team_colour: '64C4FF',
+    dnf: false,
+    dns: false,
+    dsq: false,
+    duration: null,
+    gap_to_leader: 3.2,
+    number_of_laps: 57,
+    points: 18,
+    session_key: 9550,
+    meeting_key: 1234,
+  },
+]
+
+const nextSessionDrivers: Driver[] = [
+  {
+    driver_number: 16,
+    name_acronym: 'LEC',
+    full_name: 'Charles Leclerc',
+    first_name: 'Charles',
+    last_name: 'Leclerc',
+    team_name: 'Ferrari',
+    team_colour: 'E8002D',
+    headshot_url: '',
+    broadcast_name: 'C LECLERC',
+    session_key: 9550,
+    meeting_key: 1234,
+  },
+  {
+    driver_number: 55,
+    name_acronym: 'SAI',
+    full_name: 'Carlos Sainz',
+    first_name: 'Carlos',
+    last_name: 'Sainz',
+    team_name: 'Williams',
+    team_colour: '64C4FF',
+    headshot_url: '',
+    broadcast_name: 'C SAINZ',
+    session_key: 9550,
+    meeting_key: 1234,
+  },
+]
+
+function renderCompareView(
+  props: {
+    sessionKey?: number
+    results?: EnrichedResult[]
+    drivers?: Driver[]
+  } = {},
+) {
   const client = new QueryClient({
     defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } },
   })
   return render(
     <QueryClientProvider client={client}>
-      <CompareView sessionKey={9472} results={results} drivers={drivers} />
+      <CompareView
+        sessionKey={props.sessionKey ?? 9472}
+        results={props.results ?? results}
+        drivers={props.drivers ?? drivers}
+      />
     </QueryClientProvider>,
   )
 }
@@ -305,6 +381,28 @@ describe('CompareView', () => {
     expect(screen.getAllByText('HAM').length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
   })
 
+  it('resets the selected pair when the mounted session changes', async () => {
+    const { rerender } = renderCompareView()
+
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByTestId('compare-picker-a'), { target: { value: '44' } })
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('compare-picker-a')).toHaveValue('44')
+
+    rerender(
+      <QueryClientProvider client={new QueryClient({ defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } } })}>
+        <CompareView
+          sessionKey={9550}
+          results={nextSessionResults}
+          drivers={nextSessionDrivers}
+        />
+      </QueryClientProvider>,
+    )
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.getByTestId('compare-picker-a')).toHaveValue('16')
+      expect(screen.getByTestId('compare-picker-b')).toHaveValue('55')
+    })
+  })
+
   it('renders telemetry and pace sections with mocked queries', async () => {
     renderCompareView()
 

frontend/src/test/delta-time-graph.test.tsx

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ describe('computeCumulativeDeltas', () => {
     expect(result[0].deltas[2]).toBeCloseTo(2)
   })
 
-  it('emits null for missing lap times while carrying cumulative forward', () => {
+  it('emits null for challenger missing lap times while carrying cumulative forward', () => {
     const withNull: DeltaSeries = {
       label: 'NOR',
       color: '#FF8000',
@@ -60,6 +60,41 @@ describe('computeCumulativeDeltas', () => {
     expect(result[0].deltas[2]).toBeCloseTo(-92)
   })
 
+  it('gaps all drivers when the reference lap is null and resumes without that window', () => {
+    const refWithNull: DeltaSeries = {
+      label: 'VER',
+      color: '#3671C6',
+      lapTimes: [90, null, 92],
+    }
+    const validChallenger: DeltaSeries = {
+      label: 'HAM',
+      color: '#E8002D',
+      lapTimes: [89, 91, 90],
+    }
+    const result = computeCumulativeDeltas([refWithNull, validChallenger])
+    expect(result[0].deltas[0]).toBeCloseTo(-1)
+    expect(result[0].deltas[1]).toBeNull()
+    // Lap 3 excludes the reference-null window for both: (89+90) - (90+92) = -3
+    expect(result[0].deltas[2]).toBeCloseTo(-3)
+  })
+
+  it('gaps challenger laps beyond a shorter reference series', () => {
+    const shortReference: DeltaSeries = {
+      label: 'VER',
+      color: '#3671C6',
+      lapTimes: [90, 91],
+    }
+    const longerChallenger: DeltaSeries = {
+      label: 'HAM',
+      color: '#E8002D',
+      lapTimes: [89, 92, 90],
+    }
+    const result = computeCumulativeDeltas([shortReference, longerChallenger])
+    expect(result[0].deltas[0]).toBeCloseTo(-1)
+    expect(result[0].deltas[1]).toBeCloseTo(0)
+    expect(result[0].deltas[2]).toBeNull()
+  })
+
   it('returns an empty array when only one series is provided', () => {
     expect(computeCumulativeDeltas([reference])).toEqual([])
   })
@@ -97,6 +132,19 @@ describe('DeltaTimeGraph', () => {
     expect(screen.queryByTestId('delta-line-VER')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
+  it('splits polylines at reference-null laps', () => {
+    const refWithNull: DeltaSeries = {
+      label: 'VER',
+      color: '#3671C6',
+      lapTimes: [90, null, 92],
+    }
+    const { container } = render(
+      <DeltaTimeGraph series={[refWithNull, challenger]} />,
+    )
+    const lines = container.querySelectorAll('.delta-graph-driver-line')
+    expect(lines.length).toBeGreaterThan(1)
+  })
+
   it('shows a crosshair tooltip on hover', () => {
     vi.spyOn(SVGSVGElement.prototype, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockReturnValue({
       x: 0,
@@ -118,4 +166,31 @@ describe('DeltaTimeGraph', () => {
     expect(screen.getByText(/Lap 1/)).toBeInTheDocument()
     vi.restoreAllMocks()
   })
+
+  it('omits tooltip rows on reference-null laps', () => {
+    vi.spyOn(SVGSVGElement.prototype, 'getBoundingClientRect').mockReturnValue({
+      x: 0,
+      y: 0,
+      left: 0,
+      top: 0,
+      width: 640,
+      height: 220,
+      right: 640,
+      bottom: 220,
+      toJSON: () => ({}),
+    })
+    const refWithNull: DeltaSeries = {
+      label: 'VER',
+      color: '#3671C6',
+      lapTimes: [90, null, 92],
+    }
+    const { container } = render(
+      <DeltaTimeGraph series={[refWithNull, challenger]} />,
+    )
+    const hoverLayer = container.querySelector('.delta-graph-hover-layer')
+    fireEvent.mouseMove(hoverLayer!, { clientX: 352, clientY: 100 })
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('delta-crosshair')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('delta-tooltip')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  })
 })