ThinkPad at the Races – Williams F1 team use Lenovo ThinkPad T Series laptops

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Why are the Williams Formula One team using ThinkPad Laptops?

Alex Burns, Chief Operating Officer of the Williams F1 team sums it up very nicely when he says that “IT is fundamentally important in Formula One; our business is all about the design, development and operation of racing cars and we use IT in every step of the process”.

“We run our motorsports business like our cars – fast, accurate and innovative, We’ve relied on Lenovo to diagnose, repair and push the limit on racing performance. In an ongoing battle to be next in the victory lane, Lenovo’s new Think Station workstations will help change the way our engineers work with faster interaction and design simulation to produce the next winning car.”

Lenovo PCs help start the car

That’s why the Team has now integrated over 30 ThinkPad T61p laptops into the start up sequence of the race car.

Sensors on each AT&T Williams car measure engine and gearbox parameters such as the pressure and temperature of oil, water and air. Before the car is started, the engine is turned over with no electrical spark. Data from the engine and car is downloaded to the Lenovo notebook PC. If the engineer determines that all parameters are within limits, then a spark is applied and the engine started.

TheThinkPad T61 prevents damage to the car during the start-up process. If the engine is started without appropriate oil pressure, for example, the engine is ruined; the bearings will not survive.

“In Formula One, teams are highly reliant on PC technology. With Lenovo’s record of innovation, reliability and performance in ThinkPad notebooks and Lenovo desktops, we are confident that our team is lined up with the very best,” said Alex.