Formula One and Artificial Intelligence: A Perfect Union
The Future of Racing
Formula One is widely regarded as the world’s most technologically advanced sport. For over a century, it has been an incubator of future technologies for the automotive, oil, and tire industries. With the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s no surprise that the sport is now attracting companies working in AI.
Processing Huge Amounts of Data
Each F1 car is fitted with 300 sensors, generating 1.1 million data points per second on the track. The key to improving the performance of the car and driver is to process this huge volume of information as quickly as possible – a task that AI makes easier.
Tanuja Randery, managing director of Amazon Web Services Europe, a partner of F1 and Scuderia Ferrari, explains that the sport is the perfect environment for the new technology. "We give them data to be able to improve their techniques and performance," she says. "Given the billions of data points generated here, the ability for us to do something with F1 is significant."
James Vowles, Williams Racing team principal, who has recruited a team to work on AI and machine learning, notes that the technology could not have come sooner. "Data is growing exponentially, so it’s already at the point where humans can’t ingest all the data coming in from one car," he says.
AI in Racing Strategy
AI has also played a prominent role in shaping F1’s technical regulations, introduced in 2022. Rules are changed every three to five years for sporting and environmental reasons, and the latest set were a response to calls from fans for close racing and more overtaking.
F1’s technical department and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, motorsport’s governing body, have long been able to simulate lap performance but were unable to model every aspect of racing, such as the effect of aerodynamic wake generated by a car on the one behind. So, engineers combined AI with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to produce better simulations, resulting in a 30% increase in overtaking.
The Future of F1
Vowles believes AI will become core to race car design. "Do I see a car being designed, or at least bits of the car being designed with AI technology? Yes, but many, many years from now," he says. "The one bit of it that I don’t want to see change is drivers. I’m here because we have some of the most incredible elite athletes in the world pushing themselves and the car to the limits."
Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
However, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) has already held an inaugural race in April, featuring driverless cars packed with sensors and actuators. "Take the split-second decisions a human driver makes each lap to stay on the limit of grip and performance," says Stephane Timpano, chief executive of Aspire, the UAE government agency managing A2RL. "Consider doing that through AI – where cameras, sensors, computers, and actuators must navigate with speed, precision, and, most importantly, reliability."
Conclusion
F1 will never get rid of the human factor. "AI will never drive the car," says Tanuja Randery. "What it will do is make the drivers just way better."
FAQs
Q: What is the role of AI in F1?
A: AI is used to process huge amounts of data generated by the car’s 300 sensors, making it possible to improve the performance of the car and driver.
Q: How does AI impact F1 racing strategy?
A: AI helps teams make informed decisions on pit-stop timing and tyre selection, which can win or lose races.
Q: Will AI replace human drivers?
A: No, AI will make drivers better, but human drivers will always be part of F1.
Q: What is the role of Amazon Web Services in F1?
A: Amazon Web Services provides data analysis and processing capabilities to F1 teams, helping them improve their performance.
