The COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty around it globally has upended our notions around going into an office to do our work and be productive. Companies and employees alike are being forced to reconsider how work happens and where, which is also bringing to the forefront technology that has been in some workplaces for years.
Citrix has worked with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing for more than 13 years and has been one of the team’s Innovation Partners since 2017. During this time, we have collaborated to create a workspace that allows employees flexibility and remote working capabilities. The team has had critical digital applications in place for years, enabling them to traverse the globe and work as needed, at the drop of a hat, whether in a traditional office space, at a racetrack, or at home. Enabling the team to be agile in where they work and how they work is one of the keys to success when tackling an ever-changing engineering challenge that moves location every other weekend.
“In order to support a business like this with IT infrastructure, agility and flexibility are key. We always work in a very fast-paced and travel-centric environment, which certainly helped us — along with the support of key Innovation Partners like Citrix — to react quickly in the current situation.”
— Matt Cadieux, CIO Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
The new “normal” of remote work been an easier transition for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing than most traditional workforces. When the team was asked to continue business operations from home during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, and before the official F1 shut down, Citrix infrastructure with integrated advanced technology solutions was already in place. Business divisions from IT to marketing to engineering were able to access their normal digital workspace to stay connected from home. Engineers could easily view heavy CAD files and continue to manage and approve critical path sign-off processes while self-isolating to stay safe.
“Many of the Team including myself, use Citrix day to day in the Technical Offices to work on for examples CAD files and to access key applications, so when we started to migrate some staff to working from home at the start of the pandemic, the difference in user experience was a pretty smooth transition. Quite amazing to hear of people using space balls (specialized CAD mouse hardware) at their kitchen tables!”
— Paul Monaghan, Chief Engineer, Car Engineering Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Like many sports governing bodies across the globe, the FIA is working to restructure the F1 calendar, shifting race dates and squeezing the season into a shorter timeframe. This will force Aston Martin Red Bull Racing to regroup and adapt quickly to meet the demands of a new race schedule. All Formula 1 race teams are currently in the middle of a mandatory shutdown and cannot work on the car – even from home. But when restrictions are lifted and all eyes return to the track, the team must be even more nimble to overhaul their global logistics strategy and shift their manufacturing needs to accommodate a tighter race schedule and maintain their competitive edge.
“Due to the escalation of the global pandemic we had to move many of our staff to work from home before the official F1 shut down was implemented. Citrix provided a crucial secure technology infrastructure and secure applications, which helped us to stay connected to each other, our partners, and suppliers.”
— Christian Horner, Team Principal, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
In a time like now, the ability to work seamlessly and efficiently from a remote location is even more important than ever. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing continues to push the boundaries by doing just this, and they are collaborating with Citrix to ensure business continuity.
