Pierro: Everything has to work so that there is no loss of pace

Formula 1 returns to Montreal after a long hiatus and this weekend the 51st Canadian Grand Prix will be held at the circuit, which has been named after Gilles Villeneuve since 1982. Paolo Pierro, head of the Ferrari racing team’s electronics department, spoke about the characteristics of the Canadian weekend.

Q: Tell us about your role in the team…
Paolo Pierro: On the track I am responsible for the electronics. During the race weekend and in preparation for it, I ensure the operation of all these systems. In practice, this means that I coordinate the work of all employees who monitor electronic equipment – this category includes all electronic and electrical components of the machine (sensors, controls, wired and wireless connections).

In addition, we are responsible for the software used by the team’s strategists and for the systems that make the car start. But we also monitor the operation of communication and telemetry systems and ensure the transfer of video information to Formula 1.

But electronics are also various equipment that sits in the team’s pits, as well as systems used at pit stops.

Q: What are the characteristics of your work in the days of the Canadian weekend at the track in Montreal?
Paolo Pierro: The length of this track is 4361 m, the race lasts 70 laps. Turn 10 and Turn 13, where the Wall of Champions is located, are preceded by very strong braking. The temperature of the calipers and brake disc needs to be monitored more closely than on other tracks, so we need to make sure all sensors are stable and efficient.

We’re also responsible for the brake-by-wire system, which monitors the action of the rear brakes and adjusts the brake balance in milliseconds – everything has to work as it should so the car doesn’t lose momentum.

Q: How much telemetry data are you dealing with over the race weekend and what can be said about the intensity of radio traffic between riders and other team members?
Paolo Pierro: The telemetry systems of a Formula 1 car have to transmit up to 1 MB of information in real time, using about 10,000 channels. Everyone works at their own pace. When the car is in the boxes and we download all the information, we have no less than 40,000 channels for it.

During Friday training, the number of channels is even higher and we generally process about 50 GB of data during the weekend.

The telecommunications system is even more interestingly organized: it uses about 60 channels, 40 of which relay information to Maranello, where the race’s remote control center is located.

During the race weekend, there are approximately 5,000 communication sessions between employees, of which approximately a thousand are during the race alone, while approximately 150 such sessions are recorded between each of the racers and their engineers.