VentureBeat recently spoke with Friedemann Kurz, Head of IT for Porsche Motorsport, With a long time of experience, he’s a frontrunner in combining technology and high-stakes racing.
Kurz leads IT operations for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team, covering every thing from in-race data management to cybersecurity and logistics. His role is critical in keeping Porsche's motorsports technology resilient and agile, ensuring a seamless flow of knowledge that supports strategic racing decisions and maintains Porsche's fame for innovation.
The unique format of Formula E with 16 races in 10 cities worldwide requires a versatile IT framework. Kurz's team must quickly deploy a secure, high-performance network at each location and handle the pressure of live data transmission that informs race strategy and diagnostics in real time. At speeds of as much as 200 mph, these networks are critical to maintaining a competitive advantage for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and supply a model for an adaptable, secure IT infrastructure that may gain advantage any company, that requires fast global scalability.
To meet security and network requirements, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team has partnered with CATO networks since 2023 to efficiently connect and secure pit teams, data centers, mobile users, cloud resources and operational locations.
Below you’ll discover excerpts from our current interview with Kurz:
VentureBeat: Could you begin by explaining your role at Porsche Motorsport and the way cybersecurity pertains to your operations?
Short: As Head of IT for Porsche Motorsport, I’m chargeable for every thing from digital infrastructure and data management to cybersecurity and performance optimization. Data is an important competitive factor for us because it influences decisions about racing strategies and vehicle diagnostics. Cybersecurity is critical to protecting this data flow and allowing our team to make informed decisions in real time without disruption or compromise. Our focus is on ensuring data integrity, even under intense pressure on race day.
VB: Formula E is understood for its demanding, fast-paced schedule. Could you elaborate on the unique IT challenges related to managing secure, real-time data flow on this environment?
Short: Formula E's global circuit means we travel between 10 cities for 16 races in a single season, with each race having different regulatory, bandwidth and logistical constraints. We work with strict bandwidth limits – only 50 Mbit/s is shared by all applications. This requires us to prioritize bandwidth-intensive applications resembling telemetry and communications. Since we only have one IT person on site, the infrastructure should be secure, efficient and simple to deploy. Cato Networks enables quick configuration and ensures a stable, encrypted connection in several environments, allowing us to quickly adapt to the unique conditions of every location.
VB: How can real-time data management be integrated into the racing strategy of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team and what role does safety play?
Short: Real-time data resembling tire temperatures and energy consumption are essential for strategic adjustments throughout the race. This data helps us react in real time, which is crucial in a sport where milliseconds could make all of the difference. Cato Networks provides us with security embedded in every aspect of our IT setup. We cannot afford data delays or integrity issues; They could disrupt our entire race strategy. Our focus is on providing seamless and secure data flow so our team can deal with strategic decisions without worrying about vulnerabilities.
VB: You mentioned the importance of lightweight infrastructure. How does this influence your technology decisions?
Short: Weight and space are crucial aspects for us. Formula E's format limits what we will bring to every location, which led us to forego bulky server racks. When we began on the lookout for an answer, Cato was the one platform that was optimized. Our Cato Socket is an SD-WAN device you could compare to the router you utilize at home. You connect it to the track regardless of where you might be on the earth and we will manage it from our headquarters in Weissach. This lightweight structure helps us save transport costs and reduce emissions. Cato Networks give us flexibility and ensure performance while keeping our physical footprint minimal. This approach shows that agility and security can coexist even in a high-demand, high-stakes environment.
VB: How do local regulations across international borders impact your network and cybersecurity?
Short: Each country has its own privacy laws and network restrictions, which adds complexity. It is essential for us to control local regulations to make sure smooth data flow and uninterrupted communication, especially in mission-critical racing situations. Cato Networks helps address this by mechanically adapting to local network constraints with its PoPs (Points of Presence), maintaining a secure baseline without compromising compliance.
VB: Real-time processes are crucial in Formula E. How does the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team take care of anomalies and potential safety threats during races?
Short: In general, the Cato solution is about any strange behavior that is taken into account an actual threat being handled in the identical way. A story emerges. All affected IP addresses and computers are listed. Everything is logged in an easy-to-understand manner. Based on this, we will react and act quickly because we have already got the data in a console. If it's a significant threat, we may also call in Cato's experts. The ability to detect and respond immediately is critical as we operate in a high-risk environment where every millisecond counts. Real-time detection and response are fundamental to each our safety and overall racing performance.
VB: Beyond predictive analytics, are there specific areas where you see AI and machine learning improving your competitive advantage or optimizing racing operations?
Short: Absolutely. AI and machine learning are usually not only for data evaluation; We explore their potential in automating repetitive processes, resembling monitoring network health and prioritizing data flows. On race day, for instance, if demand increases, AI could dynamically reallocate bandwidth to critical telemetry data. We are also taking a look at machine learning models that might refine our energy management strategies and help us adjust vehicle settings based on real-time route and environmental conditions. The goal is to make use of AI to make instantaneous adjustments that directly impact race results.
VB: How do you manage the constant technological developments in motorsport and judge when to introduce latest tools or methods?
Short: When introducing latest technologies, we take an iterative, metrics-driven approach. Decisions are based on race performance and post-race evaluation. Every season we review our tech stack and evaluate potential upgrades. However, we’re very selective; Any latest technology must integrate seamlessly with our existing systems and deliver measurable improvements in performance or security. For IT leaders, balancing proven reliability and innovation is critical, especially in a rapidly evolving field. With Cato as certainly one of our trusted partners, we follow the principles of motorsport on the whole. We are on the lookout for ideas on how things could possibly be more efficient, more robust, quicker and faster. If we discover something in our day by day operations or within the configuration of the product, we all the time address it directly with Cato. It is something very special because they respond flexibly and agilely to requests from the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team.
VB: Many teams rely heavily on cloud and edge computing, but security is usually a difficulty. How does the team balance the needs of edge computing and network security?
Short: There is a Cato PoP on the locations where we race. Once we connect the Cato Socket to the general public Internet, the local PoP is connected. Everything within the tunnel is encrypted end-to-end. Data is transferred between the PoP on the racetrack and the PoP that’s closest to our headquarters in Weissach. Cato does all of this and it's enormously faster than over the general public Internet. I might say that that is the largest advantage we achieve for racing operations.
VB: Many corporations face similar challenges when expanding globally. What broader lessons could other industries learn from the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team's approach to cybersecurity?
Short: Agility and security must go hand in hand, especially when scaling operations or entering latest markets. We've learned that lean, flexible infrastructure – especially cloud-native solutions – can streamline operations without compromising security. Companies across all industries can profit from specializing in technologies that provide scalability and efficiency, ensuring security doesn’t come on the expense of agility.
