NetApp to support Ducati’s data-driven team for 2019 MotoGP Championship

NetApp has announced that the company will renew its official sponsorship of the Ducati Team in the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, enabling digital transformation of motorcycle racing.

The new Ducati MotoGP team was presented officially on 18th January, in Neuchâtel (Switzerland). Data-driven technological developments on the racing bikes will boost the performance of factory riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, supported by test rider Michele Pirro.

Ducati, founded in 1926, is a leading manufacturer of specially designed motorcycles that are characterized by their high-performance Desmodromic engines, innovative design and cutting-edge technology. Ducati’s dynamic range of models aims to provide an exciting sports-riding experience to its customers. In 2012, it became part of Volkswagen Group.

As a data-driven company, Ducati began its partnership with NetApp last year to take advantage of the full potential of data in racing within the Ducati Corse division. It recently expanded the partnership to analyze vast amounts of data throughout its business, including in logistics, marketing and customer relationship management.

Through the partnership, NetApp’s engineers are working closely with Ducati’s IT team to optimize their data fabric and meet the motorcycle manufacturer’s unique, rapidly-expanding data storage and data management needs –

* With the NetApp cloud-connected AFF solution, Ducati can now easily manage approximately 200 applications and more than 300TB of data to grant reliable real-time access to the world’s fastest enterprise all-flash storage. This storage can be accessed from anywhere in the world, across multiple clouds, with full GDPR compliance, and with the quick implementation of a disaster recovery strategy.

* With the NetApp HCI solution, the power of an entire data center is delivered directly to the Ducati MotoGP team at the race track. This enables faster data-driven decisions to create winning strategies for the racing team through the powerful hybrid cloud infrastructure.

Brett Roscoe, VP of product management, NetApp, says, “We closely collaborated with Ducati’s IT team to understand its need for a cutting-edge data management infrastructure. NetApp HCI immediately overhauls Ducati’s data management and cloud infrastructure to build a powerful, modern IT framework. The NetApp HCI solution aids the IT team in critical decision-making and implementing operational efficiencies in bike production and other business areas.”

Konstantin Kostenarov, CTO of Ducati Motor Holding, comments, “Using data management solutions with integrated data protection and disaster recovery design helps us to manage development without duplicating our efforts. And it allows Ducati IT to focus on our business priorities for the future, both in racing and in production.”

The MotoGP Championship will start in Losail (Qatar) on March 10, celebrating the first anniversary of the partnership.