Managing High-Octane Technology

Michael Taylor, IT director at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team, oversees one of the most data-intensive operations in the world. With cars generating over a million data points per second and every component instrumented for performance analysis, Taylor’s team navigates a unique challenge: balancing rapid innovation with operational stability.

The Need for Speed

Formula One racing demands constant improvement—the difference between winning and losing often comes down to fractions of a second. This requires a technology infrastructure that can both generate insights quickly and maintain reliability under immense pressure.

Taylor explains, “We’ve been data-centric in F1 for decades. The key metric is the stopwatch, and we now instrument everything to identify areas for improvement.” However, collecting data isn’t the issue—the challenge lies in making timely decisions while ensuring governance across a complex operation.

Managing Two Modes of Operation

Taylor’s team operates in two distinct modes:

  • Factory Mode: During the week, they focus on design, manufacturing, and experimentation with new technologies.
  • Race Weekend Mode: When results are on the line, everything shifts to precise execution with minimal changes.

This duality shapes every technology decision—the agility that drives innovation must yield to stability when performance matters most. Taylor calls it a “constant battle” between competing priorities.

Modernizing at Racing Speed

When Mercedes-AMG Petronas decided to modernize its SAP system, they approached it like any other critical race: with meticulous planning and precise execution.

The team chose RISE with SAP and completed the implementation in just eight months—finishing two weeks ahead of schedule. This was achieved by:

  • Aligning the project with a mandatory two-week shutdown period
  • Maintaining internal ownership rather than relying on external consultants
  • Leveraging vendor expertise strategically, then taking back control

As Taylor notes, “We’re control freaks because of our sport—we prefer to own and manage systems ourselves.” This approach ensures the IT team develops deep expertise in critical infrastructure while maintaining flexibility.

Security as a Competitive Advantage

In F1, intellectual property has a short lifespan once it’s publicly visible. But the true advantage lies in what competitors can’t see: the underlying design principles, simulation data, and engineering trade-offs that inform innovation.

Taylor’s team employs an offensive security strategy—actively probing their own defenses to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. They empower engineers to move quickly while ensuring security measures don’t become bottlenecks.

“We make the secure path the easiest path,” Taylor explains. “If security gets in the way of innovation, people will find workarounds. The goal is to enable both speed and safety.” This approach aligns with F1’s engineering culture—where calculated risk-taking is encouraged while maintaining operational integrity.

What lessons from high-stakes racing can you apply to your organization’s technology strategy?