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October 21, 2015

Lotus F1: Performance at the limit with Microsoft



The difference between winning and losing on the racetrack can be measured in microseconds. The Lotus F1 Team uses Microsoft technology to maximize performance and efficiency on and off the track.

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Equipped with Microsoft Lumia 640 smartphones, members of the Lotus F1 Team have access to a whole raft of productivity tools right out of the box, such as Outlook, Microsoft Office, OneDrive, and Skype. These are essential for communicating and collaborating with the wider team when people are on the road.

In addition, members of the Lotus F1 Team have access to Office 365; that gives every member unlimited email storage, added security, and greater collaboration options.

To further mobilize everybody on the ground, the Lotus F1 Team is looking to build its own itinerary and business organization app.

Behind the scenes, every process is as streamlined as possible because more productivity equals better performance on the track.

To improve the planning across manufacturing, manage operational information, assist with the automation across the F1 car lifecycle, and deliver enhanced data accuracy, the Lotus F1 Team utilizes Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Of course, no sport would be the same without sponsors and additional partners. Fortunately, Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides a set of integrated applications that are accessible from just one place, reducing the time it takes to communicate with relevant parties.

Back at the state-of-the art Formula 1 facility in Enstone, Oxfordshire, the pre-race car is put to the test and undergoes many design changes to improve aerodynamics, structural flexibility or rigidity, and weight–among other things.

However, the car isn’t placed on a real track. Instead, the Lotus F1 Team use a digital simulator built by Microsoft.

Every centimeter of the racetrack is loaded into the simulator to make it as lifelike as possible, ensuring that the final race car can handle every bump and turn no matter the weather conditions.

One big cost normally associated with big races is the need to pack, ship, and unpack IT servers around the world–costing millions of dollars in freight.

To reduce the time and money and to allow for resources to be spent elsewhere, such as performance and testing, the whole IT system is built on the Microsoft Cloud (Azure) and accessible anytime day or night, anywhere in the world using PCs, Surface tablets, and Lumia 640s.

To keep up-to-date with the latest from Lotus F1 Team, follow them on Twitter (@Lotus_F1Team).