Porsche Motorsport says NetApp is its exclusive Intelligent Data Infrastructure partner, accelerating access to Porsche’s data to drive trackside decision-making.
NetApp already sponsors the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E race car team, which has earned four victories in the 2023-2024 Formula E season. Now NetApp has new relationships with Porsche Penske Motorsport in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) and World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Gabie Boko, NetApp CMO, said: “Motorsports generate massive amounts of data during and even before a race that helps them develop their race strategy and respond to changing conditions. The Porsche Motorsport teams need reliable and instantaneous access to their data to stay competitive.”
IWSC is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada organized by the International Motor Sports Association. The FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) WEC is a car racing world championship which includes the famous Le Mans 24 race. Penske raced a Porsche 963 in the 2023 season. The IMSA series includes the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and Penske races its 963 cars in the IWSC series as well.
Porsche Motorsport can access its trackside and garage data in real time, we’re told, supporting driver and team performance. NetApp technologies being used include:
- Cloud Volumes ONTAP with cloud-stored data available anywhere
- BlueXP data control plane used to create local, trackside copies of datasets to conduct low-latency analysis for real-time decision-making
- Cloud backup to keep data available and safe
The TAG Heuer team uses data-driven simulations to help pick the best time to activate the car’s Formula E Attack Mode, which unlocks an additional 50 kilowatts of engine power for a burst of extra speed.
Porsche Penske Motorsport will use NetApp tech in North America to share and analyze the data it needs to drive similar complex decisions in IWSC and WEC races.
Carlo Wiggers, Director Team Management, Business Relations, and Esports at Porsche Motorsport, said: “Motorsports are more about technology than almost anything else. A skilled driver is only as good as the vehicle and race strategy can empower them to be.”
Wiggers said NetApp enables the Porsche Motorsport teams to have data available where it’s needed: “Our teams travel around the world for race events but still need a connection to the data generated by our home base in Germany. NetApp … can deliver that data reliably and speedily, giving us the confidence to expand our partnership to include the IWSC and WEC events in North America.”
