Modern Formula 1, where regulations heavily restrict on-track testing and limit the number of hours spent in wind tunnels, is no longer just a contest between designers, drivers and engines. Today’s sport has become a hyper-technological laboratory in which artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital simulations are redefining the very concept of competition at the highest level of motorsport.
Against this backdrop, we have examined how Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull Racing and McLaren have all chosen strategic technology partners that provide crucial tools to transform every single piece of data collected by thousands of sensors—both at the circuit and inside their factories—into measurable performance gains on track.
Ferrari and AWS
Ferrari has chosen a heavyweight partner in Amazon Web Services (AWS). Thanks to AWS, the Maranello-based engineers can run computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in the most efficient way possible. This allows them to test aerodynamic solutions and car setups virtually before even building the physical parts, while also improving the essential correlation between simulator and real-world track performance, which is vital in modern Formula 1.
Ferrari also uses AWS to integrate Generative AI into its Formula 1 operations. By leveraging large language models (LLMs) and computer vision, the Scuderia is able to analyze competitors’ videos more quickly and effectively, perform anomaly detection within car production processes, and, for example, study pit stops by synchronizing video with telemetry data—reducing evaluation time by as much as 80 percent.
Artificial intelligence, in short, allows Ferrari to process enormous quantities of data that would previously have been impossible to handle, optimising workflows, accelerating car development, and making design and evolution of the Formula 1 car faster and more precise.
Mercedes with technology from the United Arab Emirates
Mercedes relies on a different set of technology pillars, combining the artificial intelligence of UAE giant G42 with the established enterprise solutions of SAP.
G42, a global leader in advanced AI systems, provides predictive algorithms capable of uncovering hidden insights from the billions of telemetry data points logged by the cars. Meanwhile, SAP Business AI helps the Brackley-based team simulate spending and logistics scenarios—an increasingly crucial aspect under Formula 1’s strict budget cap era.
For simulations and computational power, Mercedes can rely on supercomputers equipped with AMD EPYC processors. These machines enable ultra high-resolution CFD analysis, allowing engineers to fine-tune every aerodynamic detail and to prevent critical issues such as brake overheating, an area that has often been a point of strength for Mercedes cars.
Red Bull Racing and Oracle, far more than a sponsorship
For Red Bull Racing, the partnership with Oracle goes far beyond a title sponsorship arrangement. It has become a genuine competitive weapon, pushing the use of artificial intelligence to levels never before seen in Formula 1. The collaboration has advanced three main areas: penalty management, strategic simulations, and power unit development.
Penalty management: By using Oracle’s GenAI technology, which combines a large language model (LLM) with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), the team can instantly scan thousands of pages of FIA regulations and disciplinary precedents in real time. This enables Red Bull to present a well-documented protest in just 30 minutes, as was the case with the appeal concerning Lando Norris at the 2024 United States Grand Prix. AI becomes a tool that accelerates the analysis process and provides the foundation for swift appeals, fully aligned with the FIA’s sporting code.
Strategic simulations: Thanks to Oracle Cloud infrastructure, Red Bull can run billions of strategic simulations both before and during every race. This reduces calculation times by around 25 percent compared to the past, allowing the team to react faster to changing variables such as weather conditions or rival strategies, and to select the optimal moment for a pit stop or a setup change.
Power unit development: Since 2021, Red Bull Powertrains has been working on its own engine project, and from 2026 it will be in partnership with Ford. To design and virtually validate each component, the team uses the computing power of Oracle Cloud, speeding up research and development and reducing the need for physical prototypes.
As team principal Christian Horner has noted, “Performance gains are the lifeblood of competition in Formula 1, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is the best choice to help us achieve our goals on track.” His words underline just how central the technology partner has become, with Oracle AI tools now embedded not only at the Milton Keynes factory but also trackside and within remote operations.
McLaren with Google and Dell
McLaren is the team that perhaps benefits most visibly from its technology collaborations, having chosen a powerhouse partner in Google.
Google Cloud processes terabytes of data every single race weekend, applying artificial intelligence to areas ranging from tyre degradation analysis to decision-making processes. These services give the Woking-based outfit a competitive edge both on the track and at the McLaren Technology Centre, improving manufacturing efficiency and optimising resource use.
In addition to Google, McLaren also relies on Dell Technologies, which provides portable micro-datacenters that can be deployed at circuits. These units are capable of processing critical data in real time inside the garage, constantly updating the car’s digital twin model and helping engineers work more effectively and rapidly in search of the optimal setup.
The future is data-driven
It is clear that not only Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren, but every Formula 1 team now treats artificial intelligence as an integral part of decision-making and design processes. From aerodynamic calculations to financial monitoring, from pit stop optimization to logistical management, every aspect of the sport is now filtered and enhanced by algorithms.
In an environment regulated by strict budget caps and limitations on physical testing, the key figures of the paddock are no longer only the mechanics, engineers and aerodynamicists. Increasingly, they are also data scientists and AI specialists, whose work is now just as vital in delivering results on Sundays. Formula 1 has entered an era in which the race is as much about algorithms and computing power as it is about drivers and engines.
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