TeamViewer is More Than Another Logo on the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Car

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of engineering and the ultimate use case for technology solutions to support the racing teams who leave nothing to chance with pole position and starting positions on the grid decided by fractions of seconds. The competitive dynamics mean there is no margin for error or complacency; people, engineering components, and technology providers need to be at peak performance every single race weekend, 22 times a year.

Team Principal of Mercedes AMG-Petronas Formula One Team, Toto Wolff describes Formula 1 as the fastest laboratory in the world. Sensors on the cars provide Team Managers and Race Engineers with real-time performance data to help them devise their strategies for fueling the car and tire changes and as witnessed at the recent race weekend in Spa-Francorchamps, evaluate the impact of prevailing weather conditions which limited the time available for qualifying and the race itself.

While the audience focuses on the drivers and the action in the pit lane, technology firms are supporting the engineers on the pit wall and staff away from the track.

In May 2021, TeamViewer commenced a five-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. The partnership is more than having their logo on the car. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s factory is in Brackley, UK, with one thousand staff working on the racing car’s chassis and another thousand on the engine. Formula 1 teams can only have 60 engineering staff on-site during any race weekend.

With limited numbers of personnel permitted onsite the right expert will not always be available beside the car. TeamViewer provides Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team engineers with tools so that engineers back in the UK can provide advice and support to colleagues at the racetrack as if they were there in person; troubleshooting issues and allowing for a more efficient trackside operation.

Away from the race track the teams must adhere to design regulations, budget constraints, and limited time testing the vehicle in a wind tunnel. Like for many firms collaborating during a global pandemic has been challenging and Formula 1 teams need to keep innovating as they work on their current vehicle and design the vehicle for the following season.

For the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, the partnership with TeamViewer not only supports the company’s efforts to optimize the car and win races but also reduce the company’s carbon footprint because remote collaboration reduces the need to travel. In addition to winning races, Mercedes-Benz’s objective is to transfer the design innovations into the company’s road vehicles, again providing the company with a competitive edge and the racing car acting as a laboratory for innovations.

For TeamViewer, Formula 1 is the ultimate test case for the firm’s technologies. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has already optimized its processes and workflows to a large degree but are always looking for new technologies to give them a competitive edge with the requirements beyond the scope or imagination of many other industries. By supporting a Formula One Team the company can demonstrate that they deliver in a high pressure environment where trial and error is not accepted.

Other industries’ digital transformation strategies are progressing more slowly and TeamViewer’s experience at Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team can disseminate into their customer base with other customers benefitting from the company’s experience supporting a fast-paced and exacting requirements.

TeamViewer’s work with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team demonstrates not only that remote collaboration can deliver a seamless experience for individuals trying to resolve complex issues at speed but also that the technology can support a firm’s sustainability goals by ensuring that personnel only travel when absolutely necessary.