diff --git a/VERSION.txt b/VERSION.txt
index 7c3272873..8f9174b4d 100644
--- a/VERSION.txt
+++ b/VERSION.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.1.1
\ No newline at end of file
+2.1.2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index bb36ffd09..811f53c8f 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -3,6 +3,15 @@ Changelog
 =========
 
 
+v2.1.2 Hotfixes for loading live timing data
+============================================
+
+- Fix failure to load live timing data due to an error in the
+  api cache function wrapper.
+
+- Improve track status loading
+
+
 v2.1.1 Add support for recording and using live timing data
 ===========================================================
 
diff --git a/fastf1/api.py b/fastf1/api.py
index 61592ad21..b4e985046 100644
--- a/fastf1/api.py
+++ b/fastf1/api.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ def cached_api_request(api_path, response=None, livedata=None):
 
                     else:  # created with different version or force renew --> download again and update
                         logging.info(f"Updating cache for {str(func.__name__)}...")
-                        data = func(api_path, response=None, livedata=None)
+                        data = func(api_path, response=response, livedata=livedata)
                         if data is not None:
                             new_cached = {'version': cls._API_CORE_VERSION, 'data': data}
                             pickle.dump(new_cached, open(cache_file_path, 'wb'))
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def cached_api_request(api_path, response=None, livedata=None):
 
                 else:  # cached data does not yet exist for this request, try to download and create cache
                     logging.info("No cached data found. Downloading...")
-                    data = func(api_path, response=None, livedata=None)
+                    data = func(api_path, response=response, livedata=livedata)
                     if data is not None:
                         new_cached = {'version': cls._API_CORE_VERSION, 'data': data}
                         pickle.dump(new_cached, open(cache_file_path, 'wb'))
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ def cached_api_request(api_path, response=None, livedata=None):
 
                     cls._has_been_warned = True
 
-                return func(api_path, response=None, livedata=None)
+                return func(api_path, response=response, livedata=livedata)
 
         wrapped = cached_api_request
         wrapped.__doc__ = func.__doc__  # necessary to make docstrings work
diff --git a/fastf1/livetiming/data.py b/fastf1/livetiming/data.py
index 927160c14..ceace62b2 100644
--- a/fastf1/livetiming/data.py
+++ b/fastf1/livetiming/data.py
@@ -10,6 +10,16 @@
 from fastf1.utils import to_datetime, recursive_dict_get
 
 
+_track_status_mapping = {
+    'AllClear': '1',
+    'Yellow': '2',
+    'SCDeployed': '4',
+    'Red': '5',
+    'VSCDeployed': '6',
+    'VSCEnding': '7'
+}
+
+
 class LiveTimingData:
     """Live timing data object for using saved livetiming data as data source.
 
@@ -126,23 +136,25 @@ def _parse_session_data(self, msg):
         if 'SessionStatus' not in self.data.keys():
             self.data['SessionStatus'] = {'Time': [], 'Status': []}
 
-        for entry in msg['StatusSeries']:
-            if isinstance(entry, str):
-                continue  # TODO sometimes weird entries?
-
-            # convert timestamp to timedelta
-            status_dt = to_datetime(entry['Utc'])
-            status_timedelta = status_dt - self._start_date
-
-            # add data to category
-            if 'TrackStatus' in entry.keys():
-                self.data['TrackStatus']['Time'].append(status_timedelta)
-                self.data['TrackStatus']['Status'].append(entry['TrackStatus'])
-                self.data['TrackStatus']['Message'].append("")
-
-            elif 'SessionStatus' in entry.keys():
-                self.data['SessionStatus']['Time'].append(status_timedelta)
-                self.data['SessionStatus']['Status'].append(entry['SessionStatus'])
+        if isinstance(msg['StatusSeries'], dict):
+            for entry in msg['StatusSeries'].values():
+                # convert timestamp to timedelta
+                status_dt = to_datetime(entry['Utc'])
+                status_timedelta = status_dt - self._start_date
+
+                # add data to category
+                if 'TrackStatus' in entry.keys():
+                    status_value = str(entry['TrackStatus'])
+                    # convert to numeric system used by the api
+                    if not status_value.isnumeric():
+                        status_value = _track_status_mapping[status_value]
+                    self.data['TrackStatus']['Time'].append(status_timedelta)
+                    self.data['TrackStatus']['Status'].append(status_value)
+                    self.data['TrackStatus']['Message'].append("")
+
+                elif 'SessionStatus' in entry.keys():
+                    self.data['SessionStatus']['Time'].append(status_timedelta)
+                    self.data['SessionStatus']['Status'].append(entry['SessionStatus'])
 
     def _try_set_correct_start_date(self, data):
         # skim content to find 'Started' session status without actually
@@ -166,10 +178,16 @@ def _try_set_correct_start_date(self, data):
             return
 
         # find correct entry in series
-        for entry in msg['StatusSeries']:
-            status = recursive_dict_get(entry, 'SessionStatus')
-            if status == 'Started':
-                self._start_date = to_datetime(entry['Utc'])
+        try:
+            for entry in msg['StatusSeries']:
+                status = recursive_dict_get(entry, 'SessionStatus')
+                if status == 'Started':
+                    self._start_date = to_datetime(entry['Utc'])
+        except AttributeError:
+            for entry in msg['StatusSeries'].values():
+                status = entry.get('SessionStatus', None)
+                if status == 'Started':
+                    self._start_date = to_datetime(entry['Utc'])
 
     def get(self, name):
         """