TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team turns safety into speed

VentureBeat recently spoke with Friedemann Kurz, head of IT for Porsche Motorsport, whose decades of experiences position him as a leader in combining technology with high-stakes racing.

Kurz oversees the IT operations of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team, covering everything from in-race data management to cybersecurity and logistics. His role is crucial in keeping Porsche’s motorsport technology resilient and agile, ensuring a seamless flow of data that supports strategic racing decisions and upholds Porsche’s reputation for innovation.

Formula E’s unique format, with 16 races in 10 cities around the world, requires a flexible IT framework. Kurz’s team must quickly deploy a secure, high-performance network at each location that can handle the pressures of live data transmission that informs race strategy and diagnostics in real time. At speeds of up to 200 mph, these networks are critical to maintaining a competitive advantage for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and provide a model for adaptable, secure IT infrastructure that can benefit any enterprise with a need for rapid global scalability benefit.

To meet security and networking requirements, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team has entered into a partnership CATO networks since 2023 to efficiently connect and secure pit crews, data centers, mobile users, cloud resources and operational locations.

Below are excerpts from our recent interview with Kurz:

VentureBeat: Can you start by explaining your role at Porsche Motorsport and how cybersecurity fits into your business?

Kurz: As Head of IT for Porsche Motorsport, I oversee everything from digital infrastructure and data management to cybersecurity and performance optimization. Data is a crucial competitive asset for us and determines decisions about racing strategy and car diagnostics. Cybersecurity is essential in protecting this data flow, allowing our team to make real-time, informed decisions without interruption or compromise. Our focus is on ensuring data integrity even under intense race day pressure.

VB: Formula E is known for its demanding, fast-paced schedule. Can you elaborate on the unique IT challenges associated with managing secure, real-time data flows in this environment?

Kurz: Formula E’s global circuit means we move between ten cities for sixteen races in a single season, each with different legal, bandwidth and logistical constraints. We operate with strict bandwidth limitations: only 50 Mbps is shared among all applications. This requires us to prioritize bandwidth-intensive applications such as telemetry and communications. We only have one IT staff on site, so the infrastructure setup must be secure, efficient and easy to deploy. Cato Networks enables rapid configuration and ensures a stable, encrypted connection in diverse environments, allowing us to quickly adapt to the unique circumstances of each location.

VB: How does real-time data management integrate into the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s racing strategy, and what role does security play?

Kurz: Real-time data, such as tire temperature and energy consumption, are essential for making strategic adjustments during the race. This data helps us react in real time, which is essential in a sport where milliseconds can make all the difference. Cato Networks provides security for us, which is embedded in every aspect of our IT installation. We cannot afford data delays or integrity issues; they could disrupt our entire racing strategy. Our focus is on providing a seamless, secure data flow so that our team can focus on strategic decisions without worrying about vulnerabilities.

VB: You mentioned the importance of lightweight infrastructure. How does this affect your technology choices?

Kurz: Weight and space are critical factors for us. The Formula E format limits what we can bring to each location, so we’ve eliminated bulky server racks. When we started looking for a solution, Cato was the only platform that was streamlined. Our Cato Socket is an SD-WAN device, which you can compare to the router you use at home. You connect that to the circuit, wherever you are in the world, and we can manage it from our headquarters in Weissach. This lightweight setup helps us save on transportation costs and reduces emissions. Cato Networks gives us flexibility and guarantees 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 impact your network and cybersecurity as you move across international borders?

Kurz: Each country has its own data privacy laws and network restrictions, which adds to the complexity. It is essential that we remain vigilant of local regulations to ensure seamless data flow and uninterrupted communications, especially in mission-critical racing situations. Cato Networks helps manage this by automatically adapting to local network restrictions with their PoPs (Points of Presence), maintaining a secure baseline without compromising compliance.

VB: Real-time operations are crucial in Formula E. How does the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team deal with anomalies and potential safety risks during races?

Kurz: What’s going on with the Cato solution in general is that any strange behavior that is considered a real threat is handled the same way. A story has emerged. There are all the IP addresses and computers that are affected. Everything is recorded in a way that is easy to understand. Based on this, we can respond and act quickly because we already have the information in one console. If it seems like a major threat, we can also involve Cato’s experts. Being able to identify and respond immediately is critical because we operate in a high-stakes environment where every millisecond counts. Real-time detection and response are fundamental to both our safety and overall racing performance.

VB: Beyond predictive analytics, are there specific areas where you see AI and machine learning increasing your competitive advantage or optimizing race day operations?

Kurz: Absolute. AI and machine learning are not just for data analysis; we explore their potential in automating repetitive processes such as monitoring network health and prioritizing data flows. For example, on race day, AI can dynamically reallocate bandwidth to critical telemetry data as demand increases. We’re also looking at machine learning models that can fine-tune our power management strategies, allowing us to adjust car settings based on real-time track and environmental conditions. The goal is to use AI to make in-the-moment adjustments that have a direct impact on race results.

VB: How do you manage the constant technological evolution in motorsport and how do you decide when to adopt new tools or methodologies?

Kurz: We take an iterative, metrics-based approach to adopting new technology. Decisions are based on race performance and post-race analysis. Every season we review our tech stack and evaluate possible upgrades. However, we are very selective; any new 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 one of our trusted partners, we follow the principles of motorsport in general. We are looking for ideas on how things can be done more efficiently, more robustly, faster and faster. If we encounter anything in our daily operations or in the configuration of the product, we always address this immediately with Cato. It is very special because they are flexible and agile at the request of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team.

VB: Many teams rely heavily on cloud and edge computing, but security is often a concern. How does the team balance edge computing needs with network security?

Kurz: There is a Cato PoP at the locations where we race. Once we connect the Cato Socket to the public internet, the local PoP is connected. Everything is end-to-end and encrypted in the tunnel. There is the data transfer between the PoP on the track and the PoP closest to our headquarters in Weissach. This is all done by Cato and it is enormously faster than via the public internet. I would say for racing operations this is the biggest benefit we get.

VB: Many organizations face similar challenges as they expand globally. What broader lessons can other industries learn from TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s cybersecurity approach?

Kurz: Agility and security must go hand in hand, especially when scaling up operations or entering new markets. We’ve learned that lightweight, flexible infrastructure (especially cloud-native solutions) can streamline operations without sacrificing security. Businesses in every sector can benefit from a focus on technologies that deliver scalability and efficiency while ensuring security doesn’t compromise flexibility.