Artificial Intelligence is becoming a central player in Formula One. In the last six months alone, eight new AI partnerships were signed across the paddock, according to Ampere Analysis.
Williams, a nine-time constructors' champion, is now working with Anthropic and its Claude model to enhance team operations and race strategy. "It's much more than a sticker on a car," said Williams board advisor Peter Kenyon, citing AI as a competitive differentiator in the team's push to return to the top.
Technology spending by F1 teams hit an estimated $769 million last season, a 41% increase year-over-year, per SponsorUnited. AI and machine learning brands now account for four of the top 15 new sponsorship investors. Among them is CoreWeave, a cloud infrastructure company valued at $65 billion, which sponsors Aston Martin's F1 team.
Red Bull, the team of four-time champion Max Verstappen, has deepened its partnership with Oracle to embed AI across engineering and decision-making. "It's providing decisions for us," said Jack Harrington, Red Bull's group partnership lead.
Google's McLaren partnership has shifted from Google Pixel to Google Gemini, using the sport as a launchpad for its generative AI products. Meanwhile, F1 itself is using Amazon Web Services for generative AI in live broadcasting and even applied AI to design the Montreal trophy in 2024.
Lenovo, a global partner since 2022, provides AI-powered laptops and devices to boost productivity, mobility, and remote collaboration during race weekends. Arthur Hu, Lenovo's Global CIO, described F1 as having "an unquenchable thirst for the latest technology," calling it the sweet spot for technical innovation.