Oracle expects more US tech to enter F1 after Red Bull deal
Oracle has entered into a major partnership with Red Bull off the back of what the technology giant calls a massive increase in excitement around Formula 1 in the U.S.
Red Bull announced on Thursday that Oracle joins the team as a strategic partner on a multi-year deal that will see a wider use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to optimize its performance on and off the track. There is also a focus on fan engagement, and with the deal following Cognizant’s title sponsorship of Aston Martin, Oracle’s chief marketing officer Ariel Kelman says F1 has become an extremely attractive proposition for U.S. tech.
“From the American tech company perspective, I’ve personally seen a massive increase in excitement around Formula 1 in the United States,” Kelman said. “So it’s natural that U.S. technology companies are looking to get involved in a deeper way, and really also intersects with being good with data and analytics and machine learning is really a core competency of every Formula 1 team now.
“So you’ve got this combination of this being a great platform for promoting very sophisticated technology use cases to what’s already been a massive fan base around the world, to what’s now becoming a very fast-growing sport in the United States -- for a number of reasons, not least of which is the Netflix phenomenon.
“So I think you’re going to see more technology companies start to look at this as a real big part of their strategy.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says it is a major achievement for his team to be able to secure a partner the size of Oracle as F1’s revenue streams evolve.
“Data and the way we operate is our lifeblood,” Horner said. “We generate so much of it, it impacts everything we do -- the way we run a race, the way we develop the car, the way we even analyze drivers and driver selection. So it plays such a key role, and I think Formula 1 has evolved as well. Gone are the days of tobacco companies and there are even fewer OEMs involved now.
https://twitter.com/Oracle/status/1375092673426640897?s=20
“Formula 1 is very much at the forefront of technology, it’s cutting-edge technology and it’s great seeing these technical partnerships coming into the sport. One of the biggest fish to enter the pond has to be Oracle -- the size of the company, the strength in depth -- and I’m just delighted from Red Bull’s point of view to have this partnership, to be able to tap into that expertise and the enthusiasm that there is for Formula 1 within the group, that we’re looking to unleash across our technical departments and obviously with our fan engagement, and extract as much as we can.”
Presented by:
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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