With Brad Pitt’s F1 movie hitting screens in recent weeks, interest in motorsport’s biggest competition has arguably never been greater. But while winning or losing a race may be in the hands of the driver at any given Grand Prix, behind every George Russell or Lewis Hamilton, there is a whole host of people and machines powering the drive to the podium.
At Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, technology runs almost every aspect of the operation, from simulation and car configuration to logistics and IT support.
Among the digital tools the F1 team relies on is TeamViewer, a remote connectivity platform that has evolved from a basic support tool into an integral part of the Mercedes infrastructure strategy.
The tool eliminates the need to physically transfer data between locations, enabling engineers to access and configure systems from anywhere in the world, whether in the control room in the UK or trackside in Bahrain.
From trackside support to simulator access
The team first began using TeamViewer as a remote desktop support tool, long before establishing a formal partnership in 2021. Over time, however, its applications expanded – particularly in the simulator environment at the team’s Brackley, Northamptonshire headquarters.
The simulator is central to the team’s race weekend preparations. “Before a race, we run the simulator as much as we can with the driver. They prepare by learning the track, especially if it’s a new one. That familiarity is key,” says Steven Riley, head of IT operations and service management.
“But it’s also about car setup… Combined with the hardware, it replicates the real experience – letting us test new parts and setup options in advance.”
This year, simulation work is especially important for new driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who uses it to familiarise himself with unfamiliar circuits.
Alongside him, reserve and simulator drivers play a key role during race weekends by working closely with engineers to test possible car configurations. If a solution shows promise in the simulator, it can be applied to the race car before the next session.
With race teams often working across time zones, TeamViewer Tensor allows remote access to the simulator infrastructure, giving key team members the flexibility to log in, monitor, and make changes to devices, regardless of location.
“TeamViewer has allowed engineers from anywhere, here in Brackley or at the track, to access all of the machines in the simulator and look at the data in real time,” says Riley. “We avoid needing to move data… we can just give access to those resources.”
The simulator team, led by simulator development engineers like Christian Damm, values the security and manageability of the platform.
“Not only are the simulators a sensitive area, they’re also very secretive. We need to be able to trust that the data security is in place. With TeamViewer, we can have that peace of mind,” says Damm.
“The work in the simulator has an impact on the track, so being able to push boundaries and enhance performance is a win for my team.”
Damm also highlights the benefits of “dynamic remoting,” which allows multiple users to connect to the same machine to troubleshoot in real time. He uses a specific multi-screen setup that TeamViewer enables him to replicate remotely from his laptop.
TeamViewer Tensor’s centralised user and device management also helps with operational efficiency.
The simulator team can add or remove users and machines swiftly, saving time and reducing complexity. Visual quality has also improved since switching from previous software, Mercedes says, with Tensor offering better resolution and stability through higher bit rates and adaptive colour tuning.
“This capability has become a performance differentiator,” says Riley, noting that collaboration across dispersed teams was once difficult but is now seamless.
“Our performance team is spread across the factory, and TeamViewer allows them all to be involved in simulator sessions in real time, something that wasn’t possible before.”
Safety through simulation
Beyond performance, simulation also plays a critical role in driver safety. “We simulate a lot of different scenarios here in Brackley – not only in the simulator itself but in our testing and development facility,” Riley says.
Mercedes conducts rigorous pre-season and in-season stress testing on components and full chassis systems. “We have a seven-axis rig… It moves all of the suspension components, puts the chassis under stress – so once we’ve tested things in our T&D space, we know not only each component, but the car as a whole, will be safe for the driver.”
TeamViewer supports this process via augmented reality tools, helping engineers visualise how CAD-designed parts will fit within test rigs before physical testing begins.
“It allows us to use some of the AR technology to look at components designed in CAD and see how they’ll be positioned in our test rigs, to ensure that tests are carried out as efficiently as possible,” says Riley.
Performance meets reliability
Formula One teams are uncompromising in their evaluation of technology suppliers. Reliability, as much as speed, remains a non-negotiable criterion.
“A lot of folks that aren’t quite so into Formula One will just look at Formula One as a sport and think it’s all about how well we can perform and how fast we can drive. But actually, there are two different dynamics at play here,” says Riley.
“There’s the performance element, but there’s also the reliability element.”
Riley points to recent use cases that demonstrate the platform’s evolving role. “We have a lot of proprietary software here. What we’ve seen recently is that there were some things that we’d like TeamViewer to do that it wasn’t able to do previously. But through working with the development team, we’ve just fixed that issue.”
TeamViewer is also used to remotely access machines in the garage during race weekends. “In the garage, we have laptops that are critical to how we operate,” Riley explains.
“Being able to remote into those machines using TeamViewer, make quick updates or diagnose an issue, all without physically being there, saves vital time and keeps everything running smoothly.”
“On the track, every second counts, so we need to ensure our technology implementations can keep up to ensure drivers and team members can access all the data they need in real time to make those split-second decisions to get us over the finish line,” Riley adds.
He stresses that due to the cost cap, all technology deployments have to “deliver value.”
“It is always a balancing act where technology spend will make more of an impact than putting the money elsewhere in the team.”
Logistics at speed
Beyond the racetrack and simulator room, technology plays a supporting role in the logistics of moving the team’s infrastructure between 24 race locations each season.
“We recently had a triple-header in Europe… over the course of three weekends, the teams needed to make their way from northern Italy to Monaco and then down to Barcelona. Technology is critical in enabling that,” says Riley.
Mercedes tracks its race trucks in real time using connected systems. “All of the race trucks are connected up. We’re able to monitor their locations and progress through Europe to the next race,” he says.
TeamViewer plays a supporting role in ensuring IT systems are efficiently packed and redeployed between events. “We need to make sure all of the technology solutions we deliver are efficiently commissioned and decommissioned at each event… If we were responsible for any delays in that respect, we’d soon hear about them.”
Differentiation through culture and detail
While most teams operate with comparable IT stacks at a high level, Riley believes Mercedes differentiates through its approach. “When you look at things at an ultra-high level, every F1 team will look broadly similar from an IT standpoint. But it’s when you get into the details that things start to change,” he says.
That detail is supported by a strong internal culture. “How we operate as a team is something we’re incredibly proud of… When colleagues move from other teams to us, it really stands out to them. That’s something we’re very proud of.”
