Microsoft deepens role at Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team in multiyear technology deal
The partnership puts cloud computing and AI at the heart of race operations, as Formula 1 teams lean ever harder on data to gain marginal advantages.
Microsoft and the Mercedes‑AMG PETRONAS F1 Team have agreed a multiyear collaboration that will place Microsoft’s technologies at the centre of the team’s operations, from its factories in the UK to the racetrack.
In a joint statement, the companies said the partnership is intended to drive efficiencies and innovation, improving on-track performance while also helping the team engage Formula 1’s global audience.
Modern Formula 1 cars are effectively rolling data centres. Each Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS car carries more than 400 sensors and generates over 1.1m data points every second. These sensors track everything from engine behaviour and tyre temperatures to aerodynamic loads and energy recovery systems.
Microsoft said its Azure cloud platform and AI capabilities will be used to expand the team’s high-performance computing and data workstreams. These systems support simulation workloads, performance analysis, race strategy modelling and analytics that cut across engineering, operations and strategy groups.
For a lay reader, this means engineers can run thousands of virtual race scenarios before and during a Grand Prix weekend. By adjusting variables such as weather, tyre wear or safety-car timing, the team can model likely outcomes and refine decisions about pit stops, car setup and race tactics.
“Our sport is driven by those who lead through innovation,” said Toto Wolff, chief executive and team principal of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS. He said the partnership reflects how central technology has become to success in Formula 1.
The companies said Microsoft 365 and GitHub already support engineering and operational workflows at the team’s Brackley and Brixworth sites, as well as trackside. These tools are used for collaboration, software development and managing the complex flow of information during race weekends.
They also highlighted pilots involving so-called intelligent virtual sensors. Using real-time data and Azure’s computing power, these software-based sensors can infer measurements that may be difficult or impractical to capture directly on the car, offering engineers additional insight without adding physical hardware.
To handle the intense bursts of computing required during simulations and race events, the team has used Azure Kubernetes Service. This allows computing resources to scale up during peak demand and scale back afterwards, helping the team balance performance needs with financial and regulatory constraints imposed by Formula 1’s cost cap.
The agreement builds on a long relationship between Microsoft and the wider Mercedes-Benz group. The companies said they have collaborated for more than 30 years across factory operations, vehicle telemetry and cloud-enabled engineering systems.
For Microsoft, the deal showcases its cloud and AI technologies in one of the most demanding real-time environments in sport. Formula 1 teams operate under extreme pressure, where decisions made in seconds can determine race outcomes and championships.
For Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS, the partnership reflects how competitive advantage increasingly comes from data and software as much as from mechanical design. With regulations tightly controlling car development, teams are seeking gains through faster analysis, better simulations and more integrated operations.
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The collaboration also speaks to Formula 1’s broader evolution. As the sport courts new audiences through digital platforms and storytelling, the ability to analyse and present data in engaging ways has become part of the spectacle.
While the statement focused on technology rather than branding, the partnership underlines a wider trend: elite sport is becoming a proving ground for enterprise cloud and AI tools. In Formula 1, where margins are measured in thousandths of a second, those tools are no longer optional.
The Recap
- Microsoft and Mercedes‑AMG PETRONAS form a multiyear technology partnership.
- Cars carry more than 400 sensors and produce 1.1 million data points.
- The team will scale Azure and GitHub tools for simulation and analysis.
