January 23, 2025 6m read

Season 11: The tech behind the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team 

Merav Keren
Merav Keren

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What does it take to lead in Formula E? Driver skill, precision engineering, and flawless race strategy, of course. But there’s something more – something that powers every split-second decision. 

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is back. The speed and intensity of fierce competition heats up as Season 11 kicks off. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is ready to make its mark again with reigning world champion, Pascal Wehrlein, and the rest of the talented team.  

Where data decides champions 

But while the world watches the race action, another race is constantly unfolding – a race to analyze and crunch tens of millions of data points on and off the track, where a fraction of a second can decide who stands on the podium, and who doesn’t.  

In a sport like Formula E, flawless IT isn’t just a requirement – it’s a competitive edge. 

For the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, success is about people, data, and technology all working in sync. That’s where Cato becomes a valued partner – elevating operations and transforming the complexities of IT into a platform of possibility.  

The power of one to do the work of many 

Every race venue is different. New track. New city. New variables. Each location presents unique conditions and challenges. Behind the scenes, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s IT operations must mirror the precision and proficiency displayed at each race, ensuring performance on and off the track. 

The highly-skilled IT specialist who travels to each race is backed by the advanced capabilities of Cato SASE Cloud Platform – making network setup quick and seamless, and ensuring data flows securely and uninterrupted. It’s this speed and efficiency that empowers the team principal, race engineers, and drivers to make the crucial calls that win championships.    

Since Season 9, this dynamic lone IT pit crew has relied on Cato’s SASE platform to simplify IT management, enhance security, and optimize network performance. But how does Cato’s technology make a real difference in the team’s day-to-day? With the same elegance, ability, and resilience demonstrated on the circuit. 

Less complexity, more victory 

For the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, success on the track starts long before the lights go out. In Season 9, the team hit their best finish to date. In Season 10, they went even further, finishing second in the Teams’ Championship, and watching Wehrlein take home the Drivers’ Championship. 

One of the key advantages driving this success? Cato’s cloud-native infrastructure, enabling rapid network deployment at every E-Prix. 

Get an inside look at the Cato and TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team partnership

First to track, fast to deploy 

The IT specialist is in the first group to arrive at the track, with just a few hours to get a secure, reliable network up and running before the race engineers and mechanics step into the garage. “It has to be [fast], because we don’t have much time,” says Thomas Eue, Lead IT Product Manager. And with Cato’s X1600 Socket, it is.  

The team’s hardware is integrated into the garage video wall and powered up. Connecting to Cato happens automatically. No delays. No complexity. Just instant, reliable connectivity. “The connection is really easy” states Eue. 

From telemetry data to live video feeds and secure communication channels, everything runs at full speed. With Cato, this setup takes less than four hours – that’s it. This gives the IT specialist time to focus on creating a streamlined IT environment that supports race engineers and teams in optimizing the car’s performance and refining race strategy, while Cato’s SASE platform and the wider IT team manage the network back at base in Weissach, Germany. 

Driving solo, powered by Cato 

For the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, IT isn’t just a support function – it’s a cornerstone of their race strategy. With Cato’s SASE platform capabilities, centralized management, and automated tools, the team can shift their focus to high-impact tasks. By streamlining complex processes, the IT specialist plays a pivotal role in supporting critical decisions that lead to success on the track. 

Cato automates routine tasks, enabling the team to prioritize innovation and strategic planning. “It’s not just about making our jobs easier,” says Friedemann Kurz, Porsche Motorsport’s Head of IT. “Cato has given us the freedom to focus on the work we’re passionate about. It has freed up time for strategic activities and focus more time on getting our drivers onto the podium. That’s a rare and invaluable benefit.” 

Proactive support that feels like part of the team 

In a sport as fast-paced as Formula E, preparation is fundamental to success. In the rare event of a mid-race issue, Cato’s remote support team are always on hand to quickly resolve any network challenges, maintaining the team’s competitive edge. When every millisecond counts, that kind of real-time collaboration is priceless. 

Season 11: New tech, new edge  

The pursuit of perfection means constantly innovating to deliver winning outcomes. This season, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is benefiting from new Cato SASE platform capabilities, bringing even greater security, control, and visibility to their network. 

Securing what’s off the grid 

The team’s IoT (Internet of Things) and OT (operational technology) devices and sensors deliver key data like energy usage or tire temperature – things critical to race strategy. As the number of devices grows – so do the risks. Cato IoT/OT Security simplifies the management and security of the team’s IoT/OT environment. It’s the first SASE-native tool that converges device discovery, classification, policy enforcement, and threat prevention. It means the team can protect and manage their IoT/OT environment simply, without worrying about compromising race operations. 

Not running risks with encrypted data 

Encrypted traffic keeps the team’s data secure, but it can also hide threats. Traditional TLS inspection often breaks access to applications and domains. It’s a far-reaching problem that has led to organizations choosing not to use it. And that’s a very risky practice. Cato Safe TLS Inspection safely inspects the team’s critical data and keeps it secure. It taps the power of crowdsourcing to identify applications and domains that are safe to inspect, automatically suggesting TLS inspection rules, and saving the team weeks of manual work.   

Keeping performance on track  

With every decision hinging on data, network consistency and reliability throughout the season are as important as speed and skill. Everything runs on critical applications that need to work.  

Cato DEM is like a network early warning system for the team. It allows them to identify and resolve potential application performance problems before each race. Instead of reacting to app issues, Cato DEM provides AI-driven insights to proactively improve and manage the team’s network. No unwelcome surprises. 

Pushing Limits Together   

Success is a team sport – on and off the track. While the race team tests the limits of skill, speed, and precision, Cato pushes the boundaries of what’s possible for their network security.  

Our partnership with the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is about more than technology; it’s about shared ambition. Together, we simplify the complex, protect what matters, and ensure the network runs as seamlessly as the cars on the track.  

If you ever get the chance to experience Formula E, it’s unforgettable. You’ll see the race team in action, and Cato will be there too – for every decision, every lap, every win. 

Get an inside look at the Cato and TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team partnership, and see how together we tackle the demands of racing on a global stage.

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Wondering where to begin your SASE journey?

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Merav Keren

Merav Keren

VP Corporate and Customer Marketing

Merav Keren is VP of Corporate and Customer Marketing at Cato Networks, where she brings creativity and strategy to drive growth and connections. From spearheading intent-driven campaigns and ABM programs to high-impact content strategies and sponsorships/partnerships, Merav and her teams are taking SASE to the masses. Her work is all about finding fresh ways to engage audiences, elevate the Cato brand, and build lasting relationships.

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