Technology has long been the key to success in motorsports. F1 teams rely on technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve performance. However, with the advancement of artificial intelligence gaining momentum day by day, the number of racing car giants is doubling.
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WOKING, England — Artificial intelligence isn't the talk of the town from the rooftops at McLaren's massive technology center.
However, A 60-year-old motorsport giant is an avid user of technology behind the scenes.
At the McLaren Technology Center (MTC) located in Woking, England, the company explained how it uses artificial intelligence to improve its chances on the Formula 1 track.
“We are an organization that has a long history of using traditional machine learning technology products,” said Dan Keyworth, McLaren's chief business technology officer, during an October press conference at MTC.
According to Keyworth, machine learning allows McLaren to base its decisions on probabilities, which in turn helps it train artificial intelligence models.
The racing company showcased numerous examples of technological innovation at the MTC. These range from real-time data monitoring in a secret mission control room to the use of “digital twins” (3D digital versions of physical objects) of real cars, which enable teams to model the conditions in which real vehicles will have to operate.
Keyworth said McLaren is making extensive use of artificial intelligence in three main areas: improving car performance, day-to-day operation and commercialization.
Lando Norris' McLaren Formula 1 replica, with sponsors including McLaren, Pirelli, CNBC, Jack Daniels and Google Chrome, will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona, Spain, on April 2, 2024.
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He added that generative artificial intelligence tools offer new opportunities for F1 teams, including the ability to conduct in-depth simulations of specific possibilities that may occur during races.
This can range from determining the ideal amount of time your car should spend in pit stops, to deciding what tires to put on your vehicle when replacing an old set.
“What AI allows us to do from a generative perspective is to consider more real-world scenarios and ask ourselves, 'What's going to happen?'” Keyworth said.
Some of these scenarios are starting to lead to “pretty accurate” results – to an “almost terrifying” degree, he added.
F1 is not new to technological advancements
Technology has long been the key to success in motorsport – and not just for McLaren.
There were different F1 teams for years using modern technological achievements – from cloud computing to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Aston Martin Aramco, for example, touts the use of so-called “data lakes” – huge data storage centers – and machine learning technology to learn from massive amounts of data to predict patterns and improve decision-making.
Clare Lansley, CIO at Aston Martin Aramco, says machine learning algorithms can combine data on tires, weather and track conditions and use predictive analytics to optimize decisions.
In April blog entryshe stated that the speed at which these changes are happening is “really impressive”.
“By using this technology, we will be able to free up many engineers so they can focus more on the car's performance,” she noted.
Another F1 team implementing artificial intelligence to improve performance and strategy on the racetrack is Red Bull's Visa Cash App RB.
Peter Bayer, CEO of RB, he said earlier this year that the Italian F1 team uses artificial intelligence to compete with accuracy down to “hundredths and thousandths of a second”.
Speaking at an event with the company's software partner Epicor at its facility in Faenza, Italy, Guillaume Dezoteux, director of vehicle performance at RB, said AI can help inform teams' planning because “it means that you don't have to run 100 simulations.”
Connectivity is the 'lifeblood of sport'
Keyworth noted that none of the innovations introduced at McLaren would be possible without the help of IT tools and equipment from partners such as Cisco AND Google.
“Connectivity is probably the lifeblood of this sport,” he said ahead of the October 27 Mexican Grand Prix. “Without it, nothing will run. No car can safely appear on the track.”
A key element in McLaren's ability to ensure data flows to teams in real time are so-called mobile data centers.
These are miniature server rooms that are transported to different races around the world to ensure the consistency of the digital components of online operations.
“These mobile data centers are transported alongside the iconic F1 cars to each race venue and brought online remotely to enable real-time data storage and processing,” Chintan Patel, Cisco's chief technology officer for the UK and Ireland, told CNBC.
According to McLaren's Keyworth, another area where artificial intelligence brings additional benefits is commercialization.
McLaren is increasingly looking to “enrich the journey and the experience and make our fans feel more connected,” he said.
Thanks to AI, McLaren can better reach F1 fans located in more nascent markets, such as the United States, where the sport has grown in popularity – for example, by personalizing information to fans at specific times of the day.
Keyworth said that when it comes to using AI in business, the main area of improvement the company sees is “making life richer, smoother, faster and more efficient.”
“It's not a labor replacement – it's a 'labor-intensive' replacement,” he said. “You want to unlock your team to do what you hired them to do, not work on the overhead associated with their role.”