AWS UKI ExecLeaders
AWS Trackside: The Power of Data
AWS PARTNERSHIP WITH FORMULA 1
A battle of the world's best drivers but also the world's most innovative engineers
By using Amazon Web Services (AWS), Formula 1 is utilising innovative technologies, such as machine learning models and high performance computing to transform the sport.
Why Formula 1 chooses AWS
We needed a technology provider that would help us innovate faster and push our organization into the future, and AWS was a clear choice to partner with. By tapping into the breadth and depth of AWS and its innovative cloud technologies we’ve been able to bring fans closer to the split-second decisions on the track, redesign our future F1 cars, help us better understand the wealth of F1 data, and run analytics and machine learning to harness the power of that data, and so much more. We’re excited about what we’ve accomplished and thrilled to see what more we can do together.
- Ross Brawn, Managing Director of Motor Sports, F1
Here’s how it works
Transforming the Sport
AWS’s broadest and deepest functionality and unmatched pace of innovation is changing how F1 collects, analyzes, and leverages data and content to make decisions. With 300 sensors on each F1 race car generating more than 1.1 million data points per second transmitted from the cars to the pit, F1 is a truly data-driven sport.
Increasing Action
on the Track
F1 and AWS are using data to improve the performance of both vehicle and driver. By using AWS high performance computing, F1 was able to run aerodynamic simulations to develop its next generation car 70% faster than ever before, creating a car that reduces downforce loss from 50% to 15%. This dramatic reduction offers the chasing driver a higher chance of overtaking and in doing so offers more wheel-to-wheel action for the fans. This next generation car will be introduced in the 2022 season. F1 is also exploring the use of machine learning in its simulation process, giving the organization new insights and into more than 550 million data points collected through more than 5,000 single and multicar simulations.
Engaging and
Delighting Fans
The fan experience is changing during a race weekend. With AWS, F1 has been able to turn millions of data points transmitted from cars and trackside into an engaging fan experience through its F1 Insights. F1 uses 70 years of historical race data stored on Amazon S3, analyzed by complex models and shared with fans as rich data insights that reveal the nuances of split-second decision making, and highlight performances through these advanced stats.
Fastest Driver
Using AWS machine learning technology this insight provides an objective, data-driven ranking of all F1 drivers from 1983 through present day, by removing the F1 car differential from the equation to determine an age-old question: Who is the fastest driver? Data scientists from F1 and the Amazon Machine Learning (ML) Solutions Lab have for the first time in history created a cross-era, objective, complex, data-driven ranking of driver speed.
AWS powers
F1’s Data Journey
When it comes to F1 racing, there’s no cutting corners—but with the power of AWS, data-driven insights make it easier to inform split-second decisions that lead to victory. Learn how AWS powers F1 to manage their data architecture—getting data where it needs to go and driving key decisions at record speed.
AWS powers
F1 Insight: Close to the Wall
Close to the Wall provides fans and broadcasters a unique view of exactly how close an F1 car gets to the wall at some of the Championship’s most exciting corners. F1 calculates the distance from the wall of the closest part of an F1 car (usually the tyre) using special cameras and a fusion of deep neural network and computer vision algorithms. This is done using a four-step process of frame acquisition, car’s movement detection, trajectory estimation, and an output of the algorithm.
Data is F1’s differential
AWS powers F1 to peel past the competition with data. From the Next Gen car to speeding around corners, posting faster lap times, and revolutionizing the sport of racing.
Learn more about the partnership
Learn More About Undercut Threat from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - One of the most fascinating parts of an F1 Grand Prix race is when two teams are locked in battle, bumper to tail and just about to enter the pit stop window (the time of the race when it is predicted to make pit stops for a change of tyres). When the cars are travelling in close proximity, it is often a case of who blinks first and as we've seen in so many occasions, the brave can very often vanquish less decisive opponent.
Learn More About Pitlane Performance from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - F1 Performance Engineering and Analysis, details the value of the new F1 Insight Pitlane Performance. The pitstops have become one of the most exciting aspects of Formula 1. They are a true shop window into how F1 is able to find the perfect blend of human performance and technology. To be able to change all four tyres in less than two seconds is an incredible achievement and one which shows how hard each of the F1 teams need to work in order to find perfection.With this new graphic therefore we aim, as usual, to dissect the whole of the pit stop event which will help us to understand what time is being lost and found from the moment the driver dives into the pit lane.
Learn More About the Best Race Starts from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Engineer and F1 Director of Data Systems. The start, or launch as it's known within F1, is absolutely edge of the seat stuff for fans, drivers, and the engineers alike. It is one of the most exciting parts of a Grand Prix race and yet it's all over and done within seconds.Given the importance of these initial few seconds of a Grand Prix race, the teams put a huge amount of effort into every detail. There are a number of precise and concurrent actions that the driver needs to carry out in harmony with the vehicle control system and power unit to achieve the ultimate start which could make all the difference at the end of the race.
Learn More About Driver Performance
from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - F1 Performance Engineering and Analysis, details the latest F1 Insight powered by AWS. Driver Performance highlights which drivers are pushing their car to the absolute limit of performance in comparison to their teammates and competitors.
Learn More About Braking Performance
from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - F1 Performance Engineering and Analysis, details the latest F1 Insight powered by AWS. Braking Performance shows how the car and driver perform together when cornering, such as top speed on approach, speed decrease through braking, the braking power utilized, and the immense G-forces drivers undergo while cornering.
Learn More About Driver Season Performance from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - F1 Performance Engineering and Analysis, details the new F1 Insight. Driver Season Performance provides a breakdown of driver performance based on the most important subset of driving skills. This insight analyzes a wealth of data to provide a season output of a driver’s performance across seven key metrics.
Learn More About Qualifying Pace
from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - F1 Performance Engineering and Analysis, details the new F1 Insight. Qualifying Pace helps provide insight into the expected pace and performance from teams during Qualifying, through an analysis of their performance during the weekend practice sessions. This new insight uses machine learning and an analytical methodology, taking the practice data and using historical data of how teams progress between Saturday and Sunday’s races, to try to give the answer as to what the qualifying results will look like.
Learn More About Car Analysis/
Car Development from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - F1 Performance Engineering and Analysis, details the importance of the new F1 Insight. Focusing on the three core elements of F1 car development, the graphic will measure development of performance in Aerodynamic Drag, Aerodynamic Downforce, and Engine Power, built on lap time analysis and using telemetry data as the primary source input.
Learn More About Corner Analysis
from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - F1 Performance Engineering and Analysis, details the importance of the new F1 Insight, Corner Analysis. This provides an insight into the detail of why some cars perform better than others through high and low speed corners – the single most important area for performance for an F1 car – by analyzing and comparing the performance through the principal sections of a corner via car telemetry data.
Learn More About Car Performance
Scores from the Expert
Rob Smedley, Chief Technical Engineer - F1 Performance Engineering and Analysis, details the importance of the new F1 Insight Car Performance Scores. These important aspects of Formula 1 car performance give fans a much clearer understanding from the very outset of how the different cars perform relative to each other.
AWS Partnerships
Connect and learn more about partnerships with AWS in the UK and Ireland.