How Microsoft AI & Data is Driving Speed for Mercedes F1

Microsoft and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team have entered into a multi-year partnership that will put cloud and AI at the heart of racing operations.

This partnership will cover the entirety of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1’s operations, from its factory in Brackley to circuits around the world.

The collaboration has been unveiled ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season and comes as the sport undergoes one of its most significant technical transformations in decades. 

With new regulations demanding greater electrification, efficiency and sustainability, both sides of the partnership see this as a moment to redefine what performance means – powered by data, digital insight and purpose-driven engineering.

“Our sport is driven by those who lead through innovation,” says Toto Wolff, CEO and Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. 

“We are delighted to partner with Microsoft, one of the world’s foremost technology leaders, whose name is synonymous with groundbreaking innovation. This partnership also reflects our commitment to staying at the forefront of performance and progress. 

“By putting Microsoft’s technology at the centre of how we operate as a team, we will create faster insights, smarter collaboration and new ways of working as we look ahead to the next generation in F1.”

The need for speed

F1 is a sport founded on speed, pushing elite vehicles to the extremes of what’s possible.

Because of this, it also serves as a testing ground for emerging tech, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Each Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 car is kitted out with so much tech that it is more of a mobile supercomputer – equipped with more than 400 sensors that generate in excess of 1.1 million data points every single second. 

This is vital as every detail – from tyre wear to aerodynamics – must be analysed in real time to make split-second strategy decisions under enormous pressure.

“This partnership puts Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise AI technologies at the heart of racing performance, where milliseconds matter and data determines outcomes,” adds Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business.

“Together with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, we are harnessing data and turning it into real-time intelligence that powers faster decisions, smarter strategies and sustained competitive advantage – both on and off the track.”

But how will the partnership work? By integrating Microsoft Azure’s scalable cloud and AI tools, the team aims to expand its high-performance computing capabilities, enabling new levels of precision across simulation workloads, performance analytics and race strategy modeling. 

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) will also allow engineers to dynamically scale computing power to match racing demands, maintaining agility while adhering to F1’s strict financial and environmental regulations.

Innovation from the factory to trackside

For Mercedes, the relationship with Microsoft builds on a long history of innovation across the automotive value chain, from intelligent manufacturing to next-generation electric vehicles. 

Now, those same digital foundations are being applied to the pinnacle of motorsport.

“It is a privilege to welcome Microsoft into the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team partner ecosystem,” says Richard Sanders, Chief Commercial Officer of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. 

“Microsoft’s technology already plays a central role in how we operate as a business and this partnership opens new opportunities to innovate as we look toward the next era of technological development. 

“I look forward to seeing how our teams collaborate to unlock new ways of working across the organisation.”

The partnership stretches beyond just Azure.

By working with Microsoft, Mercedes is deepening the team’s use of Microsoft 365 and GitHub across engineering, operations and simulation environments, helping accelerate innovation, increasing agility and modernising workflows across its Brackley and Brixworth headquarters.

Fuelling human ambition

Formula 1 epitomises how data, human expertise and technology come together to work toward the ever-increasing bar of excellence. 

Writing on LinkedIn, Darren Hardman, Corporate Vice President and CEO of Microsoft UK & Ireland, says: “This is a fantastic opportunity to show how Microsoft technologies can drive better performance, accelerate innovation, and amplify the excitement for F1’s 800 million-plus fans around the world.

“Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies will help the UK-based team – which has centres in Brackley and Brixworth – remain at the forefront of this superfast, data-driven sport.”

Microsoft's work with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team showcases where the future of mobility, sport and intelligent systems is heading. 

From the race track to the research lab, both Microsoft and Mercedes are accelerating toward a shared mission: transforming data into speed, insight and sustainable success.