Formula One’s rise as a global entertainment force is changing how teams compete for attention beyond the racetrack, and Ferrari is turning to IBM’s artificial intelligence tools to strengthen its bond with fans.
The partnership between IBM and Scuderia Ferrari HP is centred on the team’s official fan app, which has been redesigned to give supporters a more interactive and personalised experience throughout the season. The move reflects a wider shift across Formula One, where technology companies are increasingly working with teams not only on performance data, but also on digital engagement and audience growth.
For IBM, Ferrari offered a powerful entry point into one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
“They’re the winningest team in history,” Kameryn Stanhouse, IBM’s vice president of Sports and Entertainment Partnerships, told TechCrunch.
The updated Ferrari app is intended to move beyond basic race information. It now features AI-generated race summaries, games, prediction tools, behind-the-scenes content, and an AI companion that allows fans to ask questions. The platform has also added Italian-language support, a notable improvement for a team so closely associated with Italy and its passionate Tifosi.
Ferrari’s goal is to turn the vast amount of information generated during race weekends into stories that fans can follow more easily. Cars, drivers, pit stops, tyres, and strategy calls all produce valuable data, but the challenge is presenting that material in a way that feels useful rather than overwhelming.
“They actually see how it serves them,” Stanhouse said of how AI is used in sports storytelling.
Stefano Pallard, Ferrari’s head of fan development, said the team wants supporters to feel recognised, whether they have followed Ferrari for decades or discovered Formula One only recently.
“That starts with taking the data we get from the track and turning it into content that is easy to follow and engaging,” he told TechCrunch.
Stanhouse said storytelling can also highlight the wider team effort behind every race, from engineers to pit crews.
“There are two drivers, but did you know it takes 24 people working simultaneously in two seconds to change a tire?” Stanhouse said, adding that storytelling helps fans feel closer to the team.
Ferrari is also using AI to study how supporters engage with the app, including what they read, play, and respond to.
“That helps us understand what resonates most with the Tifosi [the fan nickname for Ferrari] and it directly informs how we shape our storytelling and how we deliver content,” he said.
As Formula One attracts more women, younger viewers, and new fans through streaming and social media, Ferrari is trying to build loyalty through a digital experience that feels more personal.
“They are asking for more data, more insight, more features, and we have to be able to deliver that,” Pallard said. “With IBM, the vision for the next five years is to make every fan feel like the experience was built for them, whether they have been with us for 30 years or 30 days. That is how you build loyalty that lasts.”