The challenge announced today in the lead-up to the 2014 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix is to demonstrate new and insightful information that can be derived from Formula One Management’s live data feeds. Additionally, it also calls upon the contenders to create a new visual package for this new information in order to add suspense and excitement to the audience experience.
Tata Communications’ intention with the first challenge in the F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize is to inspire entrants to creatively apply analytical and information technology solutions to enhance entertainment and insight into the sport. The challenge provides the scope for entrants to not only define the data form, but also to visualise it for application in any form, ranging from TV graphics to an additional data page to complement the information that is currently presented by Formula One Management to F1 teams, the media, guests of the Formula One Paddock Club and the consumers via Formula1.com and the Official F1 app.
The judging panel, made up of Formula One Management’s CTO, John Morrison; 2008 FIA Formula One Drivers’ World Champion and Mercedes Petronas Formula One Team driver, Lewis Hamilton, Lewis’ 2014 World Championship-leading team Executive Director (Technical), Paddy Lowe; Tata Communications’ Managing Director of F1 Business, Mehul Kapadia and former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 expert commentator, Martin Brundle, all share a reliance on Formula One Management data from a variety of different perspectives and will be evaluating submissions based on a number of key criteria defined in the entry guidelines.
The challenge will require entrants to demonstrate both their creative flair and technical knowledge in their submission and to provide a compelling vision. A full brief for the first F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize challenge can be downloaded from the Tata Communications’ F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize website.
John Morrison, Chief Technology Officer of Formula One Management, said, “It is undoubtedly the case that a wealth of predictive information about proposed race strategy and current car performance can be derived from the session timing information. We are looking for a mechanism to choose specific parameters, produce the calculations and display this information in an exciting and innovative way. Obviously a mechanism to continuously update this information as the race weekend unfolds is a major part of the challenge.”
In relation to the announcement of the details of the first challenge, Lewis Hamilton said, “I live by the data screens during the live track sessions. A $50,000 prize fund demands creative solutions and I for one will take a very personal interest in proposals that show additional analysis and create new information.”
Julie Woods-Moss, Chief Marketing Officer, CEO of Nextgen Business, Tata Communications said, “The sport is now in an era where there are more data sources available than ever before. This first challenge gives creative minds the world over an opportunity to apply their passion and imagination in the quest to bring innovation and bold thinking to Formula One Management’s data presentation.”
The second challenge will be announced before the Formula 1 Gran Premio d’Italia 2014 with the third and final challenge announced on the eve of the 2014 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.
Tata Communications is a Technology Supplier of Formula One and provides Formula One Management with worldclass connectivity to all 19 Formula One race locations over its global network, the largest in the world. It also provides hosting and content delivery services to Formula1.com, which is accessed by tens of millions of fans around the globe. This innovative collaboration positions Tata Communications corporately as a Technology Supplier of Formula One with category exclusive designations as Official Connectivity Provider of Formula One and Official Web Hosting and Content Delivery Network Provider of Formula1.com.
As the Official Managed Connectivity Supplier for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Tata Communications also supports the data transmission over its global networks to keep Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at the leading edge of the championship.