TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team turns safety into speed

VentureBeat recently spoke with Friedemann Kurz, head of IT at Porsche Motorsport, his decades of experience position him as a leader in combining technology with high-level racing.

Kurz oversees IT operations for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, covering everything from in-race data management to cyber security and logistics. His role is crucial to keeping Porsche’s motorsports technology resilient and agile, ensuring a continuous flow of data that supports strategic racing decisions and maintains Porsche’s reputation for innovation.

The unique format of Formula E, with 16 races held in 10 cities around the world, demands a flexible computing framework. Kurz’s team must quickly deploy a secure, high-performance network at each location, managing the pressures of live data transfer that informs race strategy and real-time diagnostics. At speeds of up to 320 km/h, these networks are critical to maintaining a competitive edge for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team and offer a model of adaptable and secure IT infrastructure that could benefit any business in need of global scalability quick

To meet the security and networking demands, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team has partnered CATO networks from 2023 to efficiently connect and secure pit crews, data centers, mobile users, cloud resources and operational sites.

Below are excerpts from our recent interview with Kurz:

VentureBeat: Could you start by explaining your role at Porsche Motorsport and how cyber security aligns with your operations?

Kurz: As Head of IT at Porsche Motorsport, I oversee everything from digital infrastructure and data management to cyber security and performance optimization. Data is a critical competitive asset for us, driving decisions about race strategy and car diagnostics. Cybersecurity is essential to protecting this data flow, allowing our team to make informed decisions in real time without disruption or compromise. Our goal is to ensure data integrity, even under intense pressure on race day.

VB: Formula E is known for its demanding and fast schedule. Could you elaborate on the unique IT challenges involved in managing secure and real-time data flow in this environment?

Kurz: Formula E’s global circuit means we move between 10 cities for 16 races in a single season, each with different regulatory, bandwidth and logistical constraints. We operate under strict bandwidth limitations: only 50 Mbps is shared between all applications. This forces us to prioritize applications with a large bandwidth such as telemetry and communications. We only have one IT staff member on site, so the infrastructure setup needs to be secure, efficient and easy to deploy. Cato Networks enables quick setup and ensures a stable, encrypted connection in multiple environments, allowing us to quickly adapt to the unique conditions of each location.

VB: How does real-time data management fit into the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s race strategy, and what role does security play?

Kurz: Real-time data, such as tire temperature and power consumption, is essential for making strategic adjustments during the race. This data helps us react in real time, which is vital in a sport where milliseconds can make the difference. Cato Networks provides us with security, which is built into every aspect of our IT setup. We cannot afford data delays or integrity issues; they could disrupt our entire career strategy. Our focus is to provide a safe and smooth flow of data so our team can focus on strategic decisions without worrying about vulnerabilities.

VB: You mentioned the importance of a lightweight infrastructure. How does this influence your technology choices?

Kurz: Weight and space are critical factors for us. Formula E’s format limits what we can bring to each location, which led us to eliminate bulky server racks. When we started researching for a solution, Cato was the only platform that was streamlined. Our Cato Socket is an SD-WAN device, which you can compare to the router you use at home. You plug it in at the racetrack, no matter where you are in the world, and we can manage it from our headquarters in Weissach. This lightweight configuration helps us save transportation costs and reduce emissions. Cato Networks gives us flexibility and guarantees performance while keeping our physical footprint minimal. This approach demonstrates that agility and security can coexist, even in a high-demand, high-risk environment.

VB: Crossing international borders, how do local regulations affect your network and cybersecurity posture?

Kurz: Each country has its own data privacy laws and network restrictions, which adds complexity. It is essential that we pay attention to local regulations to ensure seamless data flow and uninterrupted communication, especially in critical race situations. Cato Networks helps manage this by adjusting to local network restrictions automatically with its PoPs (points of presence), maintaining a secure baseline without compromising compliance.

VB: Real-time operations are crucial in Formula E. How does TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team handle anomalies and potential security threats during races?

Kurz: In general, what is happening with the Cato solution is that any strange behavior that is considered a real threat is handled in the same way. There is a history created. There are all affected IP addresses and computers. Everything is recorded in an easy to understand way. Based on this, we can react and act quickly because we already have the information on a console. In the event that it appears to be a significant threat, we can also include Cato’s experts. Being able to identify and respond instantly is critical as we operate in a high-risk environment where every millisecond counts. Real-time detection and response is critical to both our safety and overall race performance.

VB: Beyond predictive analytics, are there specific areas where you see AI and machine learning improving your competitive advantage or optimizing race day operations?

Kurz: Absolutely. AI and machine learning aren’t just for data analysis; we are exploring its potential to automate repetitive processes such as monitoring network health and prioritizing data flows. On race day, for example, AI could dynamically reallocate bandwidth to critical telemetry data if there is an increase in demand. We’re also looking at machine learning models that could refine our power management strategies, helping us adjust the car’s setup based on real-time track and environmental conditions. The goal is to use artificial intelligence for on-the-fly adjustments that directly affect race results.

VB: How do you manage the constant technological evolution in motoring and decide when to adopt new tools or methodologies?

Kurz: We take an iterative, metrics-driven approach to adopting new technologies. Decisions are based on race performance and post-race analysis. Each season, we review our tech stack and evaluate potential upgrades. However, we are very selective; any new technology must integrate seamlessly with our existing systems and provide measurable improvements in performance or security. For IT leaders, balancing proven reliability with innovation is critical, especially in a rapidly evolving field. With Cato as one of our trusted partners, we follow the principles of motoring in general. We look for ideas on how things could be more efficient, more robust, faster and faster. If we find something in our day-to-day operation or product configuration, we always address it directly with Cato. It is very special because they are flexible and agile at the request of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team.

VB: Many teams rely heavily on the cloud and edge computing, but security is often a concern. How does the team balance edge computing needs with network security?

Kurz: In the locations where we are competing, there is a Cato PoP. As soon as we connect the Cato Socket to the public Internet, the local PoP connects. Everything is end-to-end and encrypted in the tunnel. There is data transfer between the racetrack PoP and the nearest PoP to our headquarters in Weissach. All of this is done by Cato and is much faster than going over the public Internet. I would say for race operations, that’s the biggest benefit we’re getting.

VB: Many organizations face similar challenges as they expand globally. What broader lessons could other industries take from TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s cybersecurity approach?

Kurz: Agility and security must go hand in hand, especially when scaling operations or entering new markets. We’ve learned that a lightweight and flexible infrastructure, especially cloud-native solutions, can streamline operations without sacrificing security. Companies in any industry can benefit by focusing on technologies that provide scalability and efficiency, ensuring that security does not compromise agility.