Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly integrated into Liberty Media-owned Formula One and its 11 teams, both on and off the track. According to research firm Ampere Analysis, eight new AI partnerships were signed in the past six months alone.
One of these partnerships is with AI company Anthropic for its Claude model, which will support team operations and race strategy at Atlassian Williams F1 team. Peter Kenyon, the team’s Board Advisor, emphasized that this partnership represents a significant differentiator for the team as it aims to return to the top.
In contrast to past decades when F1 cars were often adorned with tobacco company logos, current partnerships now frequently involve AI and tech companies helping teams understand datasets while benefiting from extensive exposure. Kenyon noted that Anthropic and the team’s tech experts are exploring opportunities and integrating these into their business to showcase both their technology and that of their partners.
AI can be a crucial tool for teams navigating new regulations and cost cap rules, currently set at $215 million. Adam Lewis, a senior analyst from Ampere Analysis, highlighted that AI products offer efficiency benefits, leading to natural synergies between teams and tech brands.
In the 2024 season, F1 teams spent an estimated $769 million on technology, up 41% from the previous year, according to SponsorUnited. Four of the top 15 new sponsorship investors were AI and machine learning companies, including CoreWeave ($65 billion) which partnered with Aston Martin F1 team.
AI has been instrumental in automating administrative tasks and interpreting key rules within sporting and technical regulations, enabling engineers to make quicker decisions during on-track situations. Jack Harington, the group partnership lead for Oracle Red Bull Racing, noted that AI is now providing actionable decisions rather than just searching for information.
Oracle’s partnership with Red Bull Racing has embedded its technology across the team, allowing engineers to focus on core responsibilities and perform better. Google, an Alphabet-owned company, also benefits from entering the F1 arena, as evidenced by their partnership with McLaren shifting to Google Gemini, a generative AI tool.
F1 itself has embraced AI through partnerships like Amazon Web Services, which uses generative AI for live television broadcasting. Lenovo, another global technology partner since 2022, helps enhance productivity and remote collaboration through AI PCs and devices.
Formula One’s technical nature opens up new possibilities, according to Arthur Hu, Global Chief Information Officer at Lenovo.