Formula E Announces New Technology Partnership with Google Cloud to Accelerate Growth

Ahead of this Saturday’s race around Sao Paulo’s iconic Sambadrome, Formula E has announced a new multi-year technology partnership with Google Cloud. The partnership will leverage Google Cloud technologies to help drive powerful on-and off-track performance in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The collaboration will involve Formula E harnessing Google Cloud technologies ranging from scalable cloud infrastructure to data and analytics, to generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) tools in the GENBETA Race Car Development Programme to accelerate the growth of the world’s first all-electric motorsport.

Formula E and Google Cloud will build on a relationship that began last summer with NEOM McLaren Formula E Team driver, Jake Hughes, setting a new indoor land speed Guinness World Record of 218.7km/h. The record was underpinned by a Google Cloud-developed gen AI ‘DriverBot’ for GENBETA, Formula E’s race car development programme.

‘DriverBot’ harnessed real-time data from the car, alongside historic race data, to help Hughes and his engineers smash the existing indoor land speed world record by more than 50 km/h.

Under the multi-year technology partnership announced today, Formula E and Google Cloud will explore three core areas:

• New Technologies in Sporting Development: Harnessing advanced data analytics and generative AI through Google Cloud's data streaming and processing tools in the pioneering GENBETA Programme.

• Accelerating Fanbase Growth: Using Google Cloud technologies to analyse massive datasets of fan behaviour, preferences, and demographics to create highly tailored marketing campaigns.

• Supporting Formula E's Sustainability Leadership: Scaling access to Formula E’s FIA Girls on Track Programme designed to build pathways into motorsport for young women.

Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E, said: “Our multi-year technology partnership with Google Cloud is clear evidence of the scale of our ambition in establishing Formula E as the world’s most innovative, exciting, and fastest-accelerating sport. We began our collaboration by setting a world record and are hugely ambitious about what’s next.”

Henry Chilcott, Chief Marketing Officer, Formula E, said: “Alongside the pioneering work to harness the power of gen AI to drive performance in our GENBETA programme, the next stage of this partnership will help us unleash a powerful new phase of fanbase growth by putting the full force of Google Cloud technologies behind our marketing efforts.”

Laurence Lafont, Vice President, Strategic Industries EMEA, Google Cloud, said: “Google Cloud is excited to partner with Formula E to bring the cutting edge of cloud technologies to the thrilling world of electric racing. Together, we'll accelerate innovation on- and off-track, and build the future of sustainable motorsport.”

Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will see 11 race teams compete in 16 races across 10 iconic cities including debuts for Tokyo, Shanghai, and Misano (Italy).

Alongside these new locations the Championship returns to Mexico City, Diriyah, São Paulo, Monaco, Berlin and Portland before the season finale in London on the weekend of 20 and 21 July 2024.