Data and technology are increasingly taking center stage in the sports world. Specifically in motorsport, engineering innovations are on the rise and statistics are becoming increasingly important in the quest for positive performance results.
In the case of Formula E, the teams have equipped themselves with impressive platforms to improve their progress in the competition. In that regard, TAG Heuer Porsche announced this week a partnership with NetApp, a global data-centric software company focused on the hybrid cloud.
The tool will focus its efforts on helping to make real-time adjustments to achieve higher performance in racing, while the company will be able to drive the German manufacturer’s next generation of electric vehicles.
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NetApp’s hybrid cloud solutions will make it easier for Porsche to access track data to aid driver and team performance. By doing so, they can make decisions based on real-time information such as when to use Formula E’s attack mode, which unlocks an additional 30 kilowatts of power in the engine. The FIA sets the rules for using this mode shortly before each E-Prix, hence the importance of its impact on race strategy.
A Big Data Hub
The hybrid cloud data solutions designed by NetApp and Porsche combine network-attached cloud storage (NAS) services with Global File Cache to ensure that information flows quickly and seamlessly between the various, dispersed locations.
They also integrate powerful NetApp data services to ensure consistency across versions, manage and monitor cloud resources, and protect Porsche’s intellectual property.
Because data is at the heart of race, business and engineering decisions, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team needs data management technology that allows it to be available at the race track, as well as digital information collected during the E-Prix to be uploaded to the cloud for analysis while the race is still in progress.
In addition, the team needs to process the cloud data at Porsche Motosport headquarters in Weissach, Germany, for reporting and development purposes and, after the competition, it must be transferred to the cloud for future use.
Head of Motorsport IT at Porsche, Friedemann Kurz emphasized that Formula E is an example of technology and the core R&D segment of the brand he represents.
“Data is the determining element, but it is not easy to take advantage of it with the team always on the road. The solution created by NetApp is unique in the market, in the way it can move huge amounts of data at high speed and provide an intuitive experience on the Edge, the core and the cloud, so we can design better and faster cars for our drivers and motorsport enthusiasts around the world,” he stressed.
