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Kersti Klami
Tata Communications
+44 7917 173 853
kersti.klami@tatacommunications.com
Paul Crouch
Hill + Knowlton Strategies
+44 2074 133 713
paul.crouch@hkstrategies.com
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team invites fans to develop new
virtual reality solutions to speed up collaboration between trackside and team HQ
Entries now open for the second challenge of the USD $50,000 F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize
London, UK July 7th 2016 Tata Communications, the Official Connectivity Provider to Formula 1 and the Official
Managed Connectivity Supplier of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team is, together with Lewis
Hamilton, unveiling the second challenge of the 2016 F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize. The challenge asks fans
worldwide to harness their technical know-how and passion for F1 racing to see how virtual reality (VR) or augmented
reality (AR) technologies could be used to help the team collaborate more quickly and efficiently in the run-up to and
during each Grand Prix.
For a chance of winning the USD $50,000 Grand Prize, fans need to develop a solution that uses VR or AR to enable
closer collaboration between the team of engineers trackside, and those working remotely at the teams factory in the
UK. Currently, the two teams of engineers come up with a race strategy, review component changes and resolve any
issues using audio communications and two-way video feeds between the track and the factory. The objective is to
show how this collaboration could be enhanced using VR or AR during mid-season tests, practice, qualifying or race
day, helping the two teams to become a more closely integrated unit, and ultimately boosting the drivers
competitiveness.
Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical) of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, and one of
the judges of the 2016 F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize, says, There is great scope for us to use the latest VR and
AR technologies to enhance and speed up both the remote teams ability to analyse car data and suggest solutions to
issues that may arise on the track, and the trackside teams ability to harness the insights from the remote team. These
ideas could give the team a new kind of competitive edge.
Lewis Hamilton says, Its been amazing to see fans come up with such bold ideas over the last two years. I cant wait
to take a look at the 2016 entries and see what the future of the sport might look like.
VR and AR applications are set to transform how people engage with each other and the world around them, so the
exhilarating, high-pressure environment of F1 is the best place to explore the full potential of these technologies, says
Julie Woods-Moss, Tata Communications CMO and CEO of its NextGen Business. With this challenge, we look to
unleash the collective brainpower of F1 fans and technology enthusiasts worldwide to show how creative applications
of VR and AR, underpinned by superfast connectivity, could boost F1 teams competitiveness.
In addition to Paddy Lowe and Lewis Hamilton, the judging panel includes John Morrison, Chief Technical Officer of
Formula One Management; David Coulthard, former Formula 1 race driver and Channel 4s F1 racing Lead Expert
Analyst and commentator; Martin Brundle, former Formula 1 race driver and F1 commentator for Sky Sports F1 and
Mehul Kapadia, Managing Director of F1 Business at Tata Communications.
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2016 Tata Communications. All rights reserved. TATA COMMUNICATIONS and TATA are trademarks of Tata Sons Limited in certain countries. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
The F1 FORMULA 1 logo, F1, FORMULA 1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX and related marks
are trade marks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One group company. All rights reserved.
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2016 Tata Communications. All rights reserved. TATA COMMUNICATIONS and TATA are trademarks of Tata Sons Limited in certain countries. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.