Hundreds of sensors are generating loads of real time data while driving the Formula One car. Cognizant Technology Solutions helps Aston Martin Aramco Formula One (AMF1) analyse the data and correct problems, if any, to make the car run faster, says the team’s Spanish racing driver Fernando Alonso.

For example, recently in Holland, Alonso says, there was a problem in turning the car, and the vehicle was just going straight. It was difficult to negotiate the corner, and it was a tight turn at the bend. Precious time was lost.

“I was always complaining about the understeer, and that I cannot turn the car. Eventually, thanks to data and analysis we found out that we had a little bit of an aerodynamic issue in the front wheel. The angle of the wheel was modified a little to avoid that critical stall. Without data, we will not be able to identify the problem,” he told businessline.

The car has a large number of sensors that makes it easy to report problems quickly to the team in the back end. At times, it becomes difficult to express a problem. However, the sensors in the car and the data that it generates make it easy for engineers to work on the issue, he said.

With many advanced technological features present in Formula One cars, Cognizant, the US-based IT company with a large presence in India, plays a critical role in improving the performance of the car, said Alonso.

The 43-year-old Spaniard, who had won the drivers championship twice, visited Cognizant’s MEPZ facility on Monday to celebrate three years of collaboration between the company and the racing team. Cognizant has been integral in driving AMF1’s performance on and off the grid, leveraging cutting-edge digital transformation to elevate fan engagement and operational efficiency, Alonso told businessline.

Cognizant partnered with AMF1 Team in January 2021 as its title partner. In October 2023 announced the renewal and extension of the partnership to become AMF1 Team’s Global Technology Services Partner.

The renewal and extension of the partnership agreement builds on the initial success including the contribution Cognizant’s data and machine learning technology and broader digital transformation expertise is helping the day-to-day operation of the race team, super-charging AMF1 Team’s IT infrastructure.

“Formula One is a very competitive sport. Technology will always be a strong link to make the car faster and faster, and for this we need help from Cognizant,” he added.

“Cognizant plays a huge contribution to the team’s performance, and our understanding of the car. At the team’s Silverstone factory where we have 1,000 people working. A few engineers from Cognizant are working at the factory, and some remotely,” he said.

Cognizant continues to help the team optimise operational efficiency across the new AMR Technology Campus at Silverstone, England, where it provides IoT smart factory technology expertise.

For nearly 20 years a lot of changes have taken place in the way cars are designed to make it faster. Now, technologies like Artificial Intelligence are playing a critical role in making the car run faster and improve the team’s performance,” said Alonso.

“Aston Martin is an iconic brand in the automotive industry and motorsport. Cognizant is a prestigious brand in the IT sector. Together, as partners we must be the best in the world,” he said.

Technology helps in designing robust cars, and monitoring driver preferences while driving. Helmets simulate different impacts; building different race tracks with different characteristics and materials are possible thanks to technological simulations and a lot of sensors in the car, he said.

Cognizant said that it has been instrumental in helping AMF1 Team drive performance and grow from the newest team on the grid to eight podiums in just three seasons. It has set up the team’s technology infrastructure, running service desk, performing IT work, application support for enterprise architecture, data strategy, Cloud, analytics – nearly every aspect required for the team to function as a modern data enterprise.

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