McLaren Formula 1 Team
Whether it's on the track or pit wall, in the garage or at the MTC, the McLaren Formula 1 Team are united by bravery, ingenuity, and the thrill of the chase.
Network performance to stay at race pace
On race day, decisions happen fast. Drivers and crew need reliable connectivity plus mobile data centers trackside for secure data transfer to the McLaren Technology Center (MTC).
Fast cars need a fast network
The McLaren Formula 1 Team requires an ultrareliable network that ensures that the team has secure, high-speed, and low-latency connectivity no matter where the race is. Ed Green, Head of Commercial Technology at McLaren Formula 1 Team, explains: "As a racing team, we have high demands with connectivity at the edge, mobile data centers, and a high-performance workplace. We need to make sure we are utilizing the best technology, and that’s why we rely on Cisco."
The McLaren Formula 1 Team travels to 24 races in each season. The brain of the garage is the mobile data center—a bundle of physical servers and storage, plus switching gear. A mobile data center is flown alongside the famous F1 cars to each race location. The data center is then commissioned and brought online remotely from the McLaren Technology Center (MTC) in England, no matter where the race is occurring.
Cisco ThousandEyes is pivotal to monitor and optimize the critical infrastructure connecting the mobile data center to the MTC hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles away. With an unparalleled view into its end-to-end digital environment, their IT team can proactively troubleshoot and resolve network and application performance issues before they impact the big race.
Formula 1 cars operate at speeds on average 220 MPH and drivers process data at up to 268 MPH, with 250 million data points collected each race for each car. You can imagine how vital the seamless exchange of information is for success on race weekend. In this high-speed environment, decisions are made in less than a blink, and every millisecond matters.
The McLaren Formula 1 Team relies on Cisco Networking solutions to manage data flow from the trackside garage to the MTC, using Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) for telemetry transport. With Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6E technology and Catalyst switches featuring rapid data transfer, the McLaren Formula 1 Team can make real-time decisions possible for everything from fine-tuning a pit stop to race strategy.
Real-time decision making is key for refining pit stop coordination and optimizing race strategy. Catalyst Wi-Fi 6E technology alongside advanced Catalyst switches make it easy, with significantly accelerated data transfer rates.
Connected and protected: outmaneuvering potential threats
In an environment where proprietary data is as valuable as the cars themselves, secure communications are as important as speed and reliability. With the rollout of Cisco Software-Defined Access (SDA) through Cisco Catalyst Center at the MTC, the McLaren Formula 1 Team has strengthened network security posture and increased network automation capabilities.
Cisco safeguards the terabytes of telemetry data transmitted during each race, ensuring that the McLaren Formula 1 Team maintains its competitive edge without compromising its intellectual property.
Cisco Secure Firewall protects the team’s networks and makes it easier to manage security and keep data safe, from track to MTC. With Cisco Extended Detection and Response (XDR) and Cisco Secure Malware Analytics, the IT team monitors all devices, endpoints, applications, and sources to find threats, assess risk, and stop potential malware incidents.
"With the fluid and complex nature of our race operation, we need to work with a partner that can understand the scale and the gravity of the situation and can complement and adapt to what we're trying to implement, both on and off the track," says Green. "Cisco understands our challenges and what we are trying to accomplish, and they have the solutions that can help close the gap."
Like safety gear for drivers—protective helmets, fireproof overalls, six-point harness seatbelts—Cisco Umbrella shields everyone on the team, from drivers to crew to engineers, from internet-based risks. With Umbrella, the McLaren Formula 1 Team staff can avoid malware, and ransomware, plus the connections to cloud applications are protected—all without sacrificing performance or experience.
Collaboration is as crucial as speed
At the heart of the team’s innovation and community engagement is Webex by Cisco. It bridges the miles between MTC and the F1 paddock, enabling seamless collaboration through content sharing, digital whiteboarding, and live translation, all with superior audio and video quality. Webex also brings fans closer, fostering the team spirit that drives the McLaren Formula 1 Team forward.
On race weekend things really heat up. The data gathered by 300 telemetry sensors in the car and on the drivers is shared with engineers in the MTC Mission Control in the UK. The technical team then provides advice in real time during a race.
"Webex technology is embedded throughout our team’s operations, helping us stay connected and agile with our people who operate at race pace around the globe," says Matt Dennington, Co-Chief Commercial Officer, McLaren Formula 1 Team.
The company recently completed a new 24/7 manufacturing building outside of the MTC. Meraki cameras help keep the facility safe and secure while also facilitating collaboration between the MTC and the manufacturing floor. Engineers monitor production progress via video, and machinists can work through design issues with real-time engineering assistance.
See around every turn
F1 drivers rely on engineers to provide real-time updates about their race performance to maintain a competitive edge. Likewise, the McLaren Formula 1 IT team relies on Cisco ThousandEyes to see, react, and act when needed. The team implemented ThousandEyes within its mobile data center to proactively resolve IT issues that could impair operations during critical times. With this solution, their IT team can meticulously monitor and optimize the flow of network traffic, track key performance metrics like latency, loss, and jitter, and fine-tune its digital infrastructure more effectively.
In addition, ThousandEyes assures the digital experience for the McLaren Formula 1 Team at the track and at the MTC, providing IT with real-time insights and visibility into how the network’s performance is impacting each worker’s productivity. "We can now use ThousandEyes to dial into each system and see exactly where the data is going, how much is being transferred, and give people those user experience scores," says Green. In an environment where race engineers support decision making, that operational precision is paramount.
