Tata Communications outlines second F1-related technology challenge

Tata Communications has confirmed the details of the second technology challenge intended to harness global brainpower in the USD $50,000 initiative set against the ‘white heat of connectivity innovation’ that defines Formula 1 racing.

In the lead-up to the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2014 the idea is to create a global digital scrapbook to celebrate the richness and diversity of ‘The Silver Arrows’ extensive history in the sport. The Global Scrapbook Challenge will establish and sustain a virtual ‘museum’ as an engaging online treasury of anecdote, recollection and intrigue that will attract both browsing visitors as much as the broadest range of contributions from fans of the sport.

Lewis Hamilton, driver for the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, says: “The Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows have an amazing history in our sport. The legendary skills and achievements of drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss in the 1950s are an inspiration to me and, I believe, provide a rich tapestry for this project to bring our history alive through the hands of the fans themselves.”

Entrants are being set a technology challenge to define the capture and curation of artefacts from the present season with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team back to Mercedes’ history in the sport during the 1950s. In addition, entrants are being asked to propose a campaign methodology to ensure the Scrapbook captures the imagination of the digital generation.

Julie Woods-Moss, CMO and CEO of NextGen Business, Tata Communications says: “We are witnessing a seismic change in the way the world is engaging with digital content driven largely by user-generated content. I believe the Global Scrapbook Challenge will be an enfranchising project that will allow people around the world to show their affinity to Formula One and create a fascinating archive of content delivered through cutting edge technologies.”

Tata Communications’ intention in setting the context for this challenge is to inspire entrants to creatively apply content curation and digital promotion to provide a new and novel dimension for fan engagement with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team.

Challenge 2 follows the success of the first task to creatively apply analytical and information technology solutions to demonstrate new and insightful information that can be derived from Formula One Management’s live data feeds. Winner Chris Thelwell from the UK submitted a proposal to make real-time data accessible to all by creating a new open-source data humanisation service that brings the data to life, while Ben Lambert, Will Horner-Glister, Mike Albers & Fabian Birgfeld from the UK suggested segmenting consumption of the F1 data set by user group, defining these as ‘The Team’, ‘The Enthusiasts’ and ‘The Fans’. The judging panel is made up of Formula One Management’s CTO, John Morrison; 2008 FIA Formula One Drivers’ World Champion and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team driver, Lewis Hamilton; Lewis’ 2014 World Championship-leading team executive director (technical), Paddy Lowe; Tata Communications’ CMO and CEO of NextGen Business, Julie Woods-Moss; and former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 expert commentator,Martin Brundle. The judging panel will be evaluating submissions for Challenge 2 against the high standard set by the winners of the first round of the competition.

A full brief for the second F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize challenge can be downloaded from Tata Communications’ F1 Connectivity Innovation Prize website: https://prize.tatacommunications.com/home.

The third and final challenge will be announced on the eve of the 2014 FORMULA 1 United States Grand Prix.