Driver Tim Heinemann drove the 1200 horsepower DTM Electric Demo Car at the Red Bull Ring circuit in Spielberg, Austria. And he did it by driving a complete lap at 180 kilometers per hour. But the most interesting thing is that he did it remotely, in a simulator 82 kilometers away. The doors have been opened to remote sports driving competitions. The future of this sport has arrived.

This experiment was part of the DTM Electric Remote Run presented by DTM and Schaeffler. Riedel technology connected Heinemann and the simulator at the AVL Racing facility in Graz with the racetrack and supported wireless connections between the pit lane and the race car. The Riedel IP Mesh system, the company’s Bolero wireless intercom system and SmartPanels carried video, communications between teams, and the remote car control signals with reliability and the lowest possible latency.

“Latency was the biggest challenge we faced in making this demo work, followed by network stability — ensuring all signals were received, all the time,” said Michael Resl, Director of Competition and Technology at DTM. “As experts in networking and communications solutions and the mission-critical transmission of audio, video, and data signals — both wired and wireless — Riedel was cut out for the job.”

The car was controlled using Schaeffler’s drive-by-wire solutions, eliminating the need for a physical link between the steering wheel and the front wheels. This technology opened the door for a pioneering demonstration of a remotely controlled race car.

“Reducing latency enough to remotely control a race car moving at 180 kph required the most cutting-edge wireless technologies and expertise. At this speed, 20 milliseconds of latency in the connection translates to a meter traveled,” added Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler. “This groundbreaking remote run is sure to provide new impetus for the future of racing, in terms of both e-mobility and remote and autonomous driving.”