Inside Porsche Cup Brasil’s AI-powered race operations

When cars crash, restoring fairness, safety and the competition falls to the centralized team, working against the clock. That is where AI is becoming essential.   

In the couple of months that the crash analysis tool has been implemented, results are promising, Porsche Cup Brasil organizers say. The tool is still being refined, but faster assessments already allow teams to start repairs sooner and maintain the tight turnaround and a consistent, fair experience for drivers. Organizers estimate that the time required to repair damages has been roughly cut in half.

“Time is the most valuable asset for us,” notes Enzo Morrone, chief operations officer of Porsche Cup Brasil. “This solution is really important for the staff and the employees who are working on the car.”

Real-time insights

Crash analysis is just one part of a broader digital transformation. Porsche Cup Brasil is also using real-time telemetry to gain deeper visibility into vehicle behavior during races. Data from onboard sensors is streamed into Microsoft Fabric every few seconds, allowing engineers to detect anomalies and intervene quickly. Insights are visualized through live dashboards in Microsoft Power BI.

Engineers can now detect when a car moves outside expected parameters and respond immediately. If critical systems show abnormal readings, the team can call the driver into the pits or, in more serious cases, stop the car altogether to prevent further damage or safety risks. Real-time monitoring is already helping prevent failures by enabling interventions before issues escalate, all while cars are still on track.

“The availability of real-time data has completely transformed race dynamics,” says Luis Baldini, engineering coordinator at Porsche Cup Brasil.

The crash analysis system, developed with Microsoft partner Kumulus, integrates a network of three AI multi-agents managing several specialized agents designed to cover specific tasks. Multiple components are used instead of a single model to improve accuracy, particularly because race cars frequently change their external appearance with new liveries.

“We quickly realized we needed to create specialized agents for each piece of the car,” explains Thiago Iacopini, Kumulus CEO.

The main multi-agent is the image analyzer. Engineers upload crash images through a web interface running on Azure Kubernetes Service where they can first create a digital crash record with contextual information such as the car model, driver, race day, and crash details.

The web app connects to a Python-based backend, which calls the image analyzer workflow, hosted in Microsoft Foundry. It analyzes the images and identifies damaged components from a catalog of approximately 2,000 parts. Series of agents, built with Microsoft Visual Studio Code with the help of GitHub Copilot, were trained to recognize different car components and perspectives.  

Microsoft Azure AI Search holds vectorized instructions and structured knowledge that helps the agents understand how to analyze each photo and what constitutes damage in different parts of the car. 

In the end, human expertise remains central to the process. Analysts review and validate the AI’s output and make final repair decisions, feeding corrections back into the system to improve performance over time. Crash images and related data are stored in Microsoft Fabric, with historical records stored separately in Azure Data Lake Storage.

Porsche Cup Brasil is preparing to introduce a second multi-agent into the workflow, the garage scheduler, which will automate parts ordering and work in tandem with the analyzer. Additional advanced visual models are planned to help identify components that may not be visible in photos.

A third planned element is a data agent that would connect crash analysis with real-time telemetry data. This agent would bring more contextual insights — such as speed, force and other car parameters — into the crash analysis process.

“The goal is to further expand the use of AI agents within the Microsoft Fabric ecosystem,” Baldini says, pointing to strong potential in predictive failure prevention and maintenance support. Even so, he stresses that AI remains a decision-support tool with engineers and analysts retaining full control and making the final call on every recommendation.

The human factor

For those doing the work, the shift is already changing daily operations. In the past, crash incidents created sudden spikes in workload, forcing mechanics and analysts to make high-stakes decisions with limited time for verification. Mistakes could be costly, affecting both performance and safety.

“No doubt that these tools will give us some relief, allowing us to relax a bit and think more clearly, and that certainly helps us,” says Bruno Filipe Barbosa, a collision parts coordinator who handles the crash analysis system.

Looking ahead, Pires sees AI enhancing the fan experience too, from predictive race commentary to real‑time explanations of race strategy and performance.

For the CEO, adopting AI was not an obvious step at first. “If someone had told me AI would help fix cars, I would have said, ‘Forget it. Fixing cars is about screwdrivers and pliers,” he admits. But seeing the AI tools at work, he quickly recognized their potential to relieve some of the operation’s biggest pain points.  

The payoff is speed — not just in repairs, but in decisions. AI shortens delays, can help reduce errors and gives teams more clarity to act decisively, taking some of the pressure out of high-stakes moments.

Pires traces his obsession with Porsche back to his teenage years, when his brother pulled him into an imported car showroom in São Paulo and pointed out a Porsche 914 tucked away in the back. He just stared and fell in love.

Years later, he bought what he describes as a “half-broken, half-fixed” Porsche. He dismantled it piece by piece to understand how it worked, deepening his appreciation for its engineering and technology. In 2005, he brought that passion full circle by launching Porsche Cup Brasil.

Through it all, Pires says AI will not replace humans. Instead, it will amplify them — freeing mental space, sharpening judgment and unlocking creativity where it matters most: “If technology can help make our work more reliable, efficient and faster, building trust and boosting productivity, we’ll attract more people to the race.” 

Read more about how Porsche Cup Brasil is transforming race operations with Azure AI.

Infographic by Microsoft, designed by Gustavo La Valvo. Photos by Microsoft and Porsche Cup Brasil.

Juan Montes writes about how AI and digital innovation are reshaping industries and decision‑making across Latin America and Canada. His reporting spans stories from multinational companies deploying AI agents for executives to public‑school teachers adopting technology in classrooms. Born in Madrid, he worked as a journalist in Spain and Guatemala and was a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. You can contact him on LinkedIn. 

Gustavo Lo Valvo is an editorial designer specializing in new storytelling formats. He is a professor of Media Design at the University of Buenos Aires and since 2021 co-leads the design studio Lo Valvo Márquez Diseño. Previously, he served as design director at the Argentine newspaper Clarín, where he led visual architecture and innovation in journalistic storytelling across both print and digital platforms. You can contact him on LinkedIn. 

This story was published on May 7, 2026.