The Indian backbone behind Formula One

This February, Tata Communications became F1's 'Official Connectivity Provider', a tag that brings with it the responsibility of providing fail-proof communications infrastructure to the platform

Formula One isn’t merely about ridiculously fast cars racing each other around twisting circuits in 20 different venues across the world. The sport —in fact, the world’s most expensive — is based on incredible accuracy, not just of driving prowess but also precise timing, with often millions of dollars riding on each second. More than that, F1’s management also earns massive revenues from the broadcasting rights of the races, with much of the television production work done in-house by a dedicated team.

So, without trackside timing instantly relayed across multiple platforms, video footage of races seamlessly streamed globally, and an absolutely reliable and secure communications infrastructure, F1 cannot be the ultimate automotive spectacle that it is — and that is exactly what Tata Communications provides to the world’s pre-eminent motorsports series.    

In February this year, Tata Communications became F1’s “Official Connectivity Provider”, an important tag that brings with it the responsibility of providing fail-proof communications infrastructure to the platform across the 20 venues where races are currently held. But there’s more than meets the eye.

Remote control

Even before F1 management and the racing teams reach the circuits on a race week, Tata Communications has boots on the track to set-up the infrastructure that will link race venues via its submarine cable network, incidentally one of the world’s largest, to F1’s headquarters in the UK.

These teams are supported by another set who arrive at the venue before the race weekend and on the actual weekend, more Tata Communications “pit-crew” logs in from different remote venues to support the functions. “Entire office-like connectivity is made available trackside,” says Mehul Kapadia, Vice President - Strategic Alliances and Sponsorships at Tata Communications, “with practically unlimited bandwidth.”

That sort of bandwidth is required because unlike other sports where the management usually outsources television production duties, F1 does it all by itself, says Kapadia. The technical and broadcast centres are packed into containers that are flown wherever required and then plugged into local networks.

Television feeds and highlight packages are created trackside, high-definition output that is then uploaded on F1’s website, where between 6-7 million viewers login on race weekend. This, too, is Tata Communications responsibility, since it is Formula1.com’s “Official Web Hosting and Content Delivery Network Provider.”

Split-second timing

That’s not all. The trackside network that Tata Communications establishes for every race is also used to transmit live timing data for the F1 cars, which is used for creating video feeds, utilised by racing teams, pulled by mobile applications and also on F1’s official website. “This is fundamental to the sport,” explains Kapadia because it is literally impossible to monitor an F1 track from a single point. “So, the data is collected digitally through on-track and on-car sensors, and there is also a manual back-up.”

Any delay in relaying this data could disrupt an entire race, and instantly endanger not only huge sums of money but also the reputation of a global sport that is built on the basis on accuracy. That is also why Tata Communications also provides what Kapadia terms “Z+ level of security” across the network it employs and the website. On the details, predictably, Kapadia refuses to comment.

Yet, this isn’t the first time that an Indian firm has found itself supporting a major sporting event. Mahindra Satyam was the official information technology (IT) service provider for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the world’s largest single sporting event that reached some 3.2 billion people.

But the challenges of the F1 are different. It is not just one event restricted to a single geography, and on the racetrack there is absolutely no room for error. For driver and service provider, alike.