With the 2026 season approaching and the new regulations, there will be a lot of planning and testing around the new car. The goal of our partnership is to identify where we can be most effective across all these areas. If I had to pick the most important elements, it would be providing the right […]
With the 2026 season approaching and the new regulations, there will be a lot of planning and testing around the new car. The goal of our partnership is to identify where we can be most effective across all these areas. If I had to pick the most important elements, it would be providing the right environment for Haas, whether that’s a cloud environment or their own high-performance computing environment, and strengthening their security posture. We’ll be working on improving their technological foundation.Nitin Rakesh: Technology can definitely help with those initiatives, but the biggest factor for carbon neutrality and sustainability in F1 is the fuel. There’s significant work being done with green fuels, specifically synthetic fuels. We’ll likely launch a separate stream of work around sustainability, but it hasn’t been a primary focus in our initial discussions with Haas. They are prioritising the core needs and on-track performance. It’s amazing to see that they’ve taken on this net-zero goal. The league has numerous large companies, like Aramco, working towards that mission. We’re excited to learn from them in this space as well.
Nitin Rakesh: Part of what makes this partnership so interesting is not just the technical aspect, but also the brand association with one of the most high-performance sports in the world. Personally, I’ve been following F1 for 30 years, so this is a passion project. While we work with other customers who require a high level of performance and accuracy, F1 is unique. Imagine swiping a credit card and if it takes more than a few milliseconds, something feels wrong. We expect immediate results. That’s a high-performance, low-latency environment, similar to what we deal with. It’s good to immerse ourselves in an industry that’s not intuitively related to our core business. How often do you get to see the inner workings of such a seemingly chaotic environment where teams are trying to maintain a calm sense of strategy, purpose, and execution?
Nitin Rakesh: This is a five-year partnership. It’s a long-term commitment, not just a one-off project. 2025 will be about laying the foundation for working together, particularly with the rule changes, new cars, and new drivers coming in 2026. We want to ensure that Haas is highly effective in that season.
Nitin Rakesh: We’ll be working with Haas across a range of areas to address their technology needs. This is an overall partnership that goes beyond just one aspect of their business. An F1 team, especially one of only ten and the sole US representative, has complex technology requirements.
PD: What’s the specific timeline for this partnership?
We’ll be looking at everything from their core infrastructure, particularly high-performance computing, to their data platform and data requirements. They have significant needs when it comes to real-time car performance analytics, looking at every aspect from engine performance to tuning. We’ll also be working on computer vision to help them identify potential issues with the car as it comes into the pit, and addressing their cybersecurity needs.
Formula 1 racing is a sport of milliseconds. The smallest margins can make the difference between victory and defeat. It’s also a sport increasingly reliant on technology, from high-performance computing to data analytics and computer vision. Mphasis, a leading IT solutions provider, recently announced a multi-year technology partnership with the Haas F1 Team, the only American team in the circuit. In this exclusive interview, Mphasis CEO Nitin Rakesh discusses the partnership, its potential impact on the future of the sport, and what it means for Mphasis.
PD: How can this partnership create more immersive experiences for F1 fans?
The good news is, because of the partnership, we have access to their mechanics, engineers, and other team members. We’re an engineering company ourselves, so there’s a shared language, albeit different types of engineering. It’s fascinating to see how they blend technology into their work. I’m also excited about seeing my passions for cars and tech come together. Haas is always pushing the envelope when it comes to using technology, and I hope we can learn from them and apply those lessons to our other customers.
I had a conversation with Haas’s Team Principal to learn how they manage in what must be a pressure cooker environment. It’s fascinating to observe and learn from these leaders.
PD: Formula 1 has an ambitious goal of net carbon zero by 2030. How is Mphasis contributing to that goal?
PD: Can you elaborate on the specific areas of focus within this partnership?
Nitin Rakesh: F1 is a global sport with enormous opportunities to enhance fan experience. We can also improve their employee experience and their own digital presence. You can only have a few hundred thousand people participate on-site, so most fans are interacting digitally. The possibilities are extensive. Can we create immersive experiences using AR/VR? Sky Sports, for instance, has an app that allows fans to pick and choose their F1 viewing experience. You can listen to every driver conversation, see every driver camera view, and really customize your race viewing. That level of personalized experience is where things are headed. For a live race, it’s more complex, as there’s a broader ecosystem involved. Pre- and post-race, every team can customize the experience they provide to their fanbase. Each team operates under a spending cap, which doesn’t apply to marketing but does impact car development. Most teams prioritize race performance first, then look at fan engagement and immersive experiences. I think our partnership will enhance the Haas fan experience, though how exactly is still evolving. There’s a lot of planning and exploration underway related to the 2025, 2026, and 2027 seasons, focusing on how we can have the biggest impact.
The Drive to Survive series has given us a glimpse into their world, though obviously, there’s a limit to what they can publicly share. I’m trying to get a behind-the-scenes look to glean lessons for our own business. How do they use technology, navigate through apparent chaos, control the controllable variables, and respond to unknowns? Every business deals with unknowns; I’m just approaching this as a student of the game and of management. As CEOs, we’re all constantly learning and trying to improve. I’m trying to see what we can learn from F1 that we haven’t been exposed to, and how we can apply it within Mphasis.
PD: Formula 1 is a sport where milliseconds make a difference. How does working in this high-stakes environment influence your perspective as a business leader?
