VentureBeat recently spoke with Friedemann Kurz, Head of IT for Porsche Motorsport, whose decades-long experiences position him as a leader in blending technology with high-stakes racing.
Kurz oversees the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s IT operations, covering everything from race-time 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 race decisions and upholds Porsche’s reputation for innovation.
Formula E’s unique format, with 16 races held across 10 cities worldwide, demands a flexible IT framework. Kurz’s team must quickly deploy a secure, high-performance network at each location, handling the pressures of live data transfer that informs race strategy and diagnostics in real-time. At speeds reaching 320 km/h, these networks are critical for maintaining a competitive edge for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and offer a model for adaptable, secure IT infrastructure that could benefit any enterprise with a need for rapid global scalability.
To meet security and networking demands, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team has partnered with Cato Networks since 2023 to efficiently connect and secure pit crews, data centers, mobile users, cloud resources and operational sites.
Below are excerpts from our recent interview with Kurz:
VentureBeat: Could you start by explaining your role at Porsche Motorsport and how cybersecurity aligns with your operations?
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 critical competitive asset for us, driving decisions on race strategy and car diagnostics. Cybersecurity is essential in protecting this data flow, enabling 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. Could you elaborate on the unique IT challenges that come with managing secure, real-time data flow in this environment?
Kurz: Formula E’s global circuit means that we move between 10 cities for 16 races in a single season, each with different regulatory, bandwidth, and logistical constraints. We operate with strict bandwidth limitations—only 50 Mbps is shared across all applications. This requires us to prioritize bandwidth-heavy applications like telemetry and communications. We have just one IT staff member on-site, so the infrastructure setup has to be secure, efficient and easily deployable. Cato Networks enables rapid configuration and ensures a stable, encrypted connection in diverse environments, allowing us to adapt quickly to each location’s unique conditions.
VB: How does real-time data management integrate into TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s race strategy, and what role does security play?
Kurz: Real-time data, such as tire temperatures and energy usage, is essential for making strategic adjustments during the race. This data helps us react in real-time, which is vital 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 setup. We can’t afford data delays or integrity issues; they could disrupt our entire race strategy. Our focus is on providing seamless, secure data flow so our team can concentrate on strategic decisions without worrying about vulnerabilities.
VB: You mentioned the importance of a lightweight infrastructure. How does this influence your technology choices?
Kurz: Weight and space are critical factors for us. Formula E’s format limits what we can bring to each location, which led us to eliminate bulky server racks. When we started investigating for a solution, Cato was the only platform that is streamlined. Our Cato Socket is an SD-WAN device, which you can compare with the router you use at home. You plug that in at the racetrack, no matter where you’re at 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 give us flexibility and ensure 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: Moving across international borders, how do local regulations impact your network and cybersecurity posture?
Kurz: Each country has its own data privacy laws and network restrictions, which adds complexity. It’s essential for us to stay vigilant about local regulations to ensure seamless data flow and uninterrupted communication, especially in mission-critical race situations. Cato Networks helps manage this by adjusting to local network constraints automatically with their PoPs (Points of Presence), maintaining a secure baseline without compromising compliance.
VB: Real-time operations are crucial in Formula E. How does TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team handle anomalies and potential security threats during races?
Kurz: In general, what’s going on with the Cato solution is that every strange behavior that’s considered a real threat is handled the same way. There is a story created. There are all the IP addresses and computers that were affected. Everything is logged in a way that’s easy to understand. Based on that, we can react and act quickly because we already have the information in one console. In case it looks like a major threat, we can also include the experts from Cato. Being able to identify and respond instantly is critical, as we operate in a high-stakes environment where every millisecond matters. Real-time detection and response are fundamental to both our security and overall race performance.
VB: Beyond predictive analytics, are there specific areas where you see AI and machine learning enhancing your competitive edge or optimizing race-day operations?
Kurz: Absolutely. AI and machine learning aren’t just for data analysis; we’re exploring their potential in automating repetitive processes, such as monitoring network health and prioritizing data flows. On race day, for instance, AI could dynamically reallocate bandwidth to critical telemetry data if there’s a surge in demand. We’re also looking at machine learning models that could refine our energy management strategies, helping us adjust car settings based on real-time track and environmental conditions. The goal is to use AI for in-the-moment adjustments that directly impact race outcomes.
VB: How do you manage the constant technological evolution in motorsport and decide when to adopt new tools or methodologies?
Kurz: We take an iterative, metrics-driven approach to adopting new technology. Decisions are based on race performance and post-race analysis. Every season, we review our tech stack and evaluate potential upgrades. However, we’re 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 with innovation is critical, especially in a fast-evolving field. With Cato as one of our trusted partners, we follow the principles of motorsport in general. We look for ideas on how things could be more efficient, more robust, faster and quicker. If we find something in our daily operation or in the configuration of the product, we always directly address it with Cato. It’s very special because they are flexible and agile on requests from 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: In the locations where we’re racing, there is a Cato PoP. As soon as 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 at the racetrack and the PoP closest to our headquarters in Weissach. All of that is done by Cato and it’s tremendously faster than going through the public internet. I would say for race operations, that is the biggest benefit we are achieving.
VB: Many organizations face similar challenges as they expand globally. What broader lessons could other industries take from TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s cybersecurity approach?
Kurz: Agility and security need to go hand-in-hand, particularly when scaling operations or entering new markets. We’ve learned that lightweight, flexible infrastructure—especially cloud-native solutions—can streamline operations without sacrificing security. Enterprises in any sector can benefit from focusing on technologies that provide scalability and efficiency, ensuring security doesn’t compromise agility.
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