LONDON – December 07, 2016

Avanade is helping Williams Martini Racing, one of the most successful Formula One teams in history, exploit biometric data in order to critically analyze every aspect of pit stop performance and maintain the competitive edge against their rivals after their impressive, record-breaking pit stop times in 2016.

Avanade has worked with Williams during the 2016 season to capture and evaluate a range of biometric data (heart rate, breathing rate, temperature and peak acceleration) for key members of the pit crew to harness the power of digital to drive changes in human performance. Real-time data from individual team members is captured and uploaded to a database powered by Microsoft Azure. Multiple data sets are then processed using Microsoft Power BI data visualization technology and displayed through Avanade’s Biometrics Analytics Dashboard.

The team’s Human Performance Specialist will use the dashboard to assess the information gathered throughout this season to gain a better understanding of the areas that need improvement to achieve consistently fast pit stops. For example, analysis of data gleaned from the bio-harnesses will provide insight into the physiology behind ‘the perfect pit stop’. Further analysis will seek to discover if information from the biometric data can inform specific aspects of the individual’s fitness training objectives. Bespoke performance reports could then emphasize, for example, working in a particular heart rate zone in order to reduce the cardiovascular recovery period. Initial findings are suggestive of other influential factors on performance such as stress and caffeine intake. Targeted training and other actions to improve performance will then be taken ahead of the 2017 F1 season.

Williams Martini Racing’s pit crew is already one of the strongest in the pit lane, having completed the fastest pit stop of the 2016 season at 1.92 seconds, and earning the DHL Fastest Pit Crew award at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November. The work with Avanade should help the team remain the pit stop pacesetter in 2017, helping its drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll to gain precious time that could improve their track position and give them a greater range of strategy options.

“Working with Avanade will enable us to continue to push the boundaries of pit stop potential and will help us use additional data streams to ensure we stay a step ahead of our rivals,” said Gemma Fisher, Human Performance Specialist for Williams Martini Racing. “By optimizing the performance of our pit crew we aim to consistently achieve the quickest pit stop times in 2017 to help Valtteri and Lance in their bid to deliver successful performance on track.”

The biometrics work with Williams is an example of how Avanade is helping businesses develop a connected IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem to maximize business value by combining IoT operational technologies with business information.

“Time is truly of the essence when it comes to pit stops in F1. It is great to see a company like Williams Martini Racing embrace technology from Microsoft to capture and analyze biometric data, to enhance their pit stop performance in the 2017 season and maintain a competitive edge,” said Chris Miller, Global CTIO, Avanade.

Avanade has been working with Williams Martini Racing since January 2015, helping the organization with its digital transformation efforts. Williams is making investments to create a digital workplace at its factory in Grove, Oxfordshire and at each circuit it visits during the racing season. Avanade also constructed the team’s new website ahead of the 2016 season and developed a tyre optimization tool for analyzing car performance.