As a successful Formula One team, currently sitting fourth in Constructors’ Championship, Sahara Force India work to the finest detail to improve car performance. This means data transfer and speed of connectivity is paramount to their success. Through knowing VoIP Unlimited as a favoured supplier in the F1 industry, who were already aware of the requirements, restrictions and expectations of F1 technology, Sahara Force India approached VoIP to provide a bespoke and reliable service.
Time in a wind tunnel can cost millions of dollars and so any loss of connectivity can be extremely damaging. Sahara Force India needed a supplier who could speak the same sporting technology language, with a reputation of delivering solutions that work, with no excuses.
Wind Tunnel testing our 60% scale replica Formula 1 car at 180kph containing over 500 sensors generates 37Gb of data a week. All of which needs to be available live back in the UK for analysis and decision making. The model itself is designed and manufactured in house with over 1500 components made from steel, aluminium, carbon fibre and 3D printed materials.
Bill Peters, IT Director, Sahara Force India said of the partnership “We generate vast amounts of data from the track, the wind-tunnel and our various simulations so it is imperative that we can ship this data to where it is needed. If connectivity was compromised, we would lose our competitive edge. I had worked with VoIP Unlimited with previous Formula One teams and instantly knew we needed their backing at Sahara Force India.
“From a sanity checking, two-way street point of view, it is extremely reassuring to have a supplier with the right technical knowledge for our particular industry. Formula One is unforgiving when it comes to technology, so I needed to use a supplier who could deliver on its promise. To have a company that could fill in the gaps has prevented us from running into problems at a later date. Also, many larger providers cannot provide the bespoke solutions offered by Voip Unlimited.”
Mark Pillow, MD of Voip Unlimited commented “Formula 1 Technology representatives need security, reliability, confidentiality and a self-serve agreements. Our relationship with F1 teams are a Technical Partnership support based on flexibility and responsiveness, the industry waits for no one. We enjoy doing tailored solutions and as a born and bred techy myself I enjoy some of the challenges given to us by this industry. I could not be prouder of the progress Sahara Force India are making; we are an extremely proud Official Supplier”
