Here is the thing about modern Formula 1: the machines are so complex and the margins so tight that the pit wall is no longer just running on human gut instinct alone. As Motorsport.com reports, Red Bull has pulled back the curtain on an artificial intelligence system developed with Oracle that actually recommends actions to the team during a grand prix.
What started out simply as a search tool designed to help engineers digest F1 regulations and past rulings has evolved into something much wilder. Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Red Bull head of technical and performance partnerships Jack Harington laid out how the software has transformed into an "agentic" AI capable of pulling in massive amounts of data and recommending mid-race moves. As Harington put it: "It’s actually making decisions for us."
This technology didn't appear overnight, of course. Back in February 2026, Oracle and Red Bull announced a multi-year extension of their title partnership, confirming that Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Oracle AI would underpin everything from the 2026 debut of Red Bull Ford Powertrains' next-generation hybrid power unit to advanced race-strategy simulations and this exact pioneering AI-powered strategy agent.
To show how the machine operates under fire, Harington pointed to the 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. On the opening lap, Max Verstappen went off at the first chicane while battling McLaren's Lando Norris for the lead. The AI agent immediately advised Red Bull to hand the position back to avoid a penalty.
That instruction went completely against what the team's human pit wall initially thought of the situation. But Red Bull trusted the system and followed the instruction anyway—a call that paid off massively when Verstappen avoided a penalty, soon clawed the lead back from the McLaren driver, and ultimately won the race by 19.2 seconds.
Naturally, Harington was quick to add a reassuring caveat, noting that "Formula 1 is and will always be a human sport," even if the AI agent serves to enhance the operation. Red Bull is far from alone in this digital arms race, either. Google is working with McLaren to integrate Gemini AI tools, Mercedes has teamed up with Microsoft, and Ferrari is collaborating with IBM on AI-powered experiences for fans.
