Beyond the track
Every time Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly get behind the wheel, more than 200 sensors collect over 50 billion data points that help the technical staff improve aerodynamics, performance, and handling.
With races only a week or two apart, BWT Alpine F1 Team must design, test, and manufacture optimizations at an accelerated pace. To help with this, the team turns to these billions of data points they capture from the car each weekend.
Take a deeper look at how the team and technology work in tandem at Enstone Factory to bring the BWT Alpine F1 Team car to life with a 360-degree experience.
We’re very reactive. We need something that works quickly so we can get our job done as reliably as possible.
It takes a dedicated team to produce a competitive Formula One car. Each piece of information is imperative to understand the dynamics of the car and transform these forces into performance. With each race, they’re learning and trying new things with the most current car.
The team and each department must be able to trust the data they receive, analyze it, and visually interpret it in the most efficient way.
If the team didn’t have this input, the engineers would be developing a car without any insight into how the driver is experiencing changes. But once they have this data from the track, it’s then a process of rigorous teamwork and collaboration. Leveraging Microsoft Azure, the team is able to consolidate all of their data into a single environment to uncover the key insights that shape design decisions and inform race strategy.
The data journey
From the precise engineering to the car to the fine tune way it’s driven on the track, data is at the root of everything BWT Alpine F1 Team does.
As soon as the BWT Alpine F1 Team car hits the track, billions of data points are tracked and collected. The team is able to use the data to determine whether there is a problem with the car and take further action.
Using Microsoft Azure technology, the team thoroughly analyzes the data and monitors for any abnormalities saving engineers valuable time.
Based on the information gathered from the data, engineers and designers then make modifications to improve the car model and performance mechanisms.
The design schematics are confirmed and sent to production to create the new parts for the car.
Before sending the car to the track, the team can test the new part using Wind Tunnel simulations and confirm it matches model expectations.
BWT Alpine F1 Team is given the green light to go again and new data is tracked and collected in real-time by the engineers.
The race to innovate
With more than 1,000 team members across the globe working 24/7 to design, manufacture, and innovate the new A524, collaboration and real-time solutions are crucial to keep up with a very fast-moving F1 environment. Microsoft technology helps the team innovate through the cloud in 3 S’s: the scale of data, the speed of data, and the simplicity of data. Thus, providing a full picture of what is happening on the car, on the track and therefore allowing quicker decision-making. Microsoft Cloud services have made it possible for BWT Alpine F1 Team to have a strategic advantage over their competitors and be more proactive when it comes to the information data is providing.
Learn more about how BWT Alpine F1 Team uses Microsoft Cloud to collect billions of data points at breakneck pace.
Scale. Speed. Simplicity. These three S’s are the lifeblood of F1. Microsoft empowers the team to drive innovation on and off the track with innovative cloud technology.
The BWT Alpine F1 Team Data Science Platform is the latest resource that is driving success for the team. The powerful, scalable solution built with NetApp Files and Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines helps analyze performance, generate insight, and identify opportunities for enhancements.
Microsoft PowerBI dashboards have enabled better visibility into the abundance of car part data and a more organized way of tracking on-going production which has improved the teams on-time delivery for new parts.
Race into STEM
Despite Formula 1’s explosive growth, the field remains predominantly male, with women underrepresented within Formula 1 teams. That’s why Microsoft joined forces with BWT Alpine F1® Team and their Rac(H)er initiative to support the inclusion of women in motorsports.
Microsoft and BWT Alpine F1® Team launched the Race Into STEM program—an ongoing effort featuring numerous events worldwide, as well as a digital platform that provides youth with resources for enhancing their knowledge through STEM activities related to motorsports.
