Artificial intelligence has taken over various domains ranging from finance, filmmaking, healthcare and science to business. With the rapid integration of AI into Formula 1, the future of racing is moving towards a paradigm shift.
According to research firm Ampere Analysis, Liberty Media-owned Formula 1 has secured AI-related partnerships in the past six months.
Assist with team operations
Even nine-time F1 constructors’ champion Williams has partnered with Anthropic, making the Claude model accessible to support team operations and race strategy.
Williams’ management 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 differentiators: how can this partner help us on that journey back to the top?”
“What Anthropic and our technology team are doing is understanding the opportunities and then integrating them into our business to be able to demonstrate and showcase their technology for ourselves and them in the drive to get Williams back on top,” Kenyon added.
Efficiency at its best
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, senior analyst at Ampere Analysis, the “ubiquitous benefits” of AI-driven efficiency “create a natural synergy between racing teams and technology giants.”
The sport’s financial landscape is also shifting towards massive investments in digital infrastructure. When it comes to spending categories for F1 teams, technology now tops the bill with an estimated $796 million last season, as reported by intelligence platform SponsorUnited.
Even AI and machine learning are becoming the fifteen largest sponsorship investors in the sport, highlighted by the partnership between CloudWeave and Aston Martin’s F1 team.
In the 2025 season, F1 achieved significant sponsorship revenue worth $2.54 billion, behind only the NFL ($2.7 billion).
Useful for track decisions
AI is also useful in simplifying administrative tasks, technical regulations and interpreting rules, giving the engineers and players a better understanding to make decisions.
The Red Bull team, for which Max Verstappen races, has signed a partnership with the $494 billion software company Oracle.
“So it really plays into the power of AI as a catalyst for our team. This allows them (engineers) to focus on the core responsibilities they have and perform better at what they do,” said Red Bull group partner Jack Harrington.
Even companies like Google are also finding their way into the F1 arena. The collaboration between Google and McLaren from F1 is testimony to this. At the end of 2025, the two organizations expanded 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 equipment, such as Oscar Piastri’s custom helmet.
