Formula One meets AI: How racing is entering a new tech era

Artificial intelligence has taken over various domains ranging from finance, filmmaking, healthcare, and science to corporate. With rapid integration of AI in Formula One, the future of racing is pivoting towards a paradigm shift.

According to research firm Ampere Analysis, the Liberty Media-owned Formula One secured AI related partnerships in the past six months.

Helping in team operations

Even the nine-time F1 constructors’ champion Williams are collaborating with Anthropic, making Claude model accessible to support team operations and race strategy.

Williams’ board advisor Peter Kenyon said, "It's much more than a sticker on a car or a sticker on a billboard. We see it as one of our differentiating points: how can this partner help us in that journey back to the top?”

“What Anthropic and our ​tech team are doing are understanding the opportunities and then integrating those into our business to be able to demonstrate for ⁠ourselves and them, and showcase their technology in the pursuit of getting Williams back to the top,” Kenyon added.

Efficiency at top

As Formula 1 tightens its financial belt with a new $125 million cost cap, teams are increasingly turning to AI tools to navigate not only new regulations but also the financial landscape without breaking the bank.

According to Adam Lewis, a senior analyst at Ampere Analysis, the "ubiquitous benefits” of AI-driven efficiency “creates a natural synergy between racing teams and tech giants.”

The financial landscape of sports is also shifting towards a massive investment in digital infrastructure. When it comes to spending categories for F1 teams, technology now tops with an estimated $796 million last season, as reported by intelligence platform SponsorUnited.

Even AI and machine learning are becoming the sports’ top 15 sponsorship investors, highlighted by the partnership between CloudWeave and Aston Martin’s F1 team.

In the 2025 season, F1 reached a significant $2.54 billion worth of sponsorship revenue, trailing only the NFL ($2.7 billion).

Useful in track decisions

AI is also useful in simplifying administrative tasks, technical regulations and interpreting rules, equipping the engineers and players with better understanding to make decisions.

The Red Bull team, which Max Verstappen races for, secured partnership with $494 billion-valued software company Oracle.

‘So it's really playing into the strength of AI as an enabler for our team. Allowing them (engineers) ​to focus on the core responsibilities they ​have and perform better at what ⁠they do,” Jack Harrington, the group partnership lead for Red Bull, said.

Even companies like Google are also making their way to the F1 arena. The partnership between Google and F1’s McLaren testifies this. In late 2025, the two organizations extended their deal with a specific focus on Google Gemini.

Now in early 2026, the partnership has entered a new phase, highlighting Google's efforts to generate personalized fan content and help design driver gear, such as Oscar Piastri’s custom helmet.