Embracing Adversity: Race Report from the GMR Grand Prix 2023

DNSFilter recently added a new core value: We embrace adversity.

In tech, just like on a race track, things don’t always go according to plan. And to do our jobs well, we need to accept Murphy’s Law and prepare as much as we can while rolling with the punches.

No, we can’t always be No. 1 in all we do, but we can always strive to be the best and lean on our team for support. Being in first place is always the goal, but it doesn’t happen overnight.

This was true for Romain Grosjean in the No. 28 DNSFilter / DHL Honda, it’s true for us internally at DNSFilter as we continue to support and iterate on our protective DNS security product, and it’s true for the IT and security teams we support with our secure filtering.

ABOUT THE LIVERY DESIGN

This past weekend, DNSFilter hosted 20 guests at the GMR Grand Prix. Romain Grosjean had a new livery for the weekend, custom-designed by DNSFilter. 

Our design goals resolved around speed and security. While the lines represent the quickness of both a race car and our threat detection, the colors tell the story of the path a threat takes when it encounters DNSFilter. 

Magenta represents the malicious site before our end user encounters it. Once someone attempts to access that site, it enters the detection phase represented by the dark blue—we aptly call this “detect blue.” This is when our machine learning scans the site for malicious indicators if it’s never encountered the site before. Finally, after determining the domain is indeed a threat, DNSFilter does not allow the end user to access the site. 

We use the “secure blue” color (our lighter blue) to embody the clear blue skies on the horizon now that the threat has been mitigated for our customers.

The No. 28 DNSFilter / DHL Honda was visually designed to be the fastest car on the track. We wanted everyone to see this car and think, “this one is meant for first.”

ROMAIN’S DAY AT THE TRACK

Brake issues on Friday during qualifying landed Romain in 18th position at the start of the race, a small crash in the first lap led to an early pit stop for a front wing replacement. But despite all of the obstacles, he passed 24 cars and gained on his competitors to achieve 11th on the day. He’s now fourth in the championship on the year.

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It’s not always a win, but there are always learnings. Always another chance to do better.

During our weekend, and before Romain hit the track on race day, the DNSFilter team had a chance to sit down with Romain. We got to hear first-hand how he was feeling pre-race and chat more about his hobbies and life outside of racing.

Stay tuned for the full interview coming soon!

JAMIE CHADWICK AND INDYCAR NXT

But the weekend wasn’t just about the INDYCAR SERIES. INDY NXT’s third race of the season was on May 13, and the day before we got to talk to Jamie Chadwick about her progression from the start of the season to now.

During qualifying, Jamie hovered between the 12th and 13th positions but ultimately finished P14. 

On race day, Jamie finished 15th and gained 15 points towards the championship—where she’s now also in 15th place. It’s all about progress, and Jamie made some great strides this weekend and is working hard to get the No. 28 DHL Honda up on the podium. As we discussed in the DNSFilter suite before race day, she’s learned a lot since that first race back in March. Check out the full video of the interview with Jamie here.

OUR CUSTOMERS MADE THIS WEEKEND SPECIAL

A huge thank you to the customers who joined us in Indianapolis this weekend for a wonderful weekend at the track. Our customers have shaped what DNSFilter is today, helping us to become the fastest DNS resolver in North America and a more complete feature set through their feedback. 

It’s great to have you in our pit crew.

Check out all our photos from the weekend's event: