How Oracle Red Bull Racing is driving Formula 1 into the future with cloud, AI and data

AI and decision-making

Artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in helping engineers process this data and make informed decisions in real time. The team has developed AI-driven models that scan sporting regulations and historical race outcomes to provide guidance and support.

“It doesn’t decide for us, it informs the human decision,” says Harington. “In Formula 1, the most important sensor is the driver. Technology amplifies human judgement, but it doesn’t replace it.”

“AI doesn’t decide for us, it informs the human decision. In Formula 1, the most important sensor is the driver. Technology amplifies human judgement, but it doesn’t replace it”

Jack Harington, Oracle Red Bull Racing

This synergy between AI and human expertise was evident during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. During a critical safety car period, data from the cars and live simulations were transmitted to OCI in real time. The team quickly evaluated multiple “what-if” scenarios and made a split-second decision to pit, maximising track position while minimising time loss. Moments later, the decision paid off, illustrating how AI informs strategy without overriding the human instinct that remains central to racing.

The driver in the loop

Oracle Red Bull Racing also leverages driver-in-the-loop simulators, which Harington describes as “the coolest computer game in the world”. These simulators allow drivers to experience the car virtually, testing handling characteristics, g-forces and aerodynamic setups before stepping on the track.

The data collected from these sessions is directly fed into the car configuration for the race weekend. This continuous feedback loop between driver and simulation ensures that theoretical performance matches what a human can execute.

Beyond car performance, Oracle Red Bull Racing uses AI to identify future driving talent. Historically, teams relied on a handful of junior formula series to spot emerging stars. AI allows the team to cast a much wider net, analysing data from karting competitions and small international racing series that would otherwise go unnoticed.

“AI helps us find the next Max Verstappen before anyone else,” says Harington. “We evaluate performance indicators like wet-weather skill or equipment limitations and make predictions no human could process alone.”

Off-track operations

Technology also underpins business and operational efficiency. Payroll, HR and financial planning systems are integrated into Oracle Cloud, with AI streamlining processes and enabling resources to be directed to performance-critical areas. AI is applied to cost-cap management, allowing the team to optimise every investment in pursuit of speed and reliability.

Perhaps the most ambitious application of technology at Oracle Red Bull Racing is in its engine programme for 2026. With new regulations, every engine on the grid will be entirely new, featuring a 50/50 split between internal combustion and hybrid power. Oracle Red Bull Racing runs complex computational fluid dynamics simulations entirely on Oracle Cloud, modelling combustion, airflow and fuel ignition at 15,000rpm, all before any physical component exists.

“Less than four years ago, we had no facility, no staff, no simulations,” Harington recalls. “Within 12 months, we developed one of the world’s most advanced engine-building programmes. Oracle Cloud allowed us to scale simulations as we expanded our team, running around 20% more iterations than traditional on-premise systems. This lets us explore more designs, optimise performance and commit to manufacture with confidence.”

These simulations are so detailed that the team can model fuel combustion within a cylinder, airflow through turbochargers and energy recovery integration, all digitally, long before a single engine is built. The ability to iterate designs quickly and safely is a major competitive advantage in a sport where milliseconds matter.

Human instinct and technological edge

For Oracle Red Bull Racing, the combination of AI, cloud computing and human expertise is a winning formula. Monte Carlo simulations, AI-informed pit decisions and advanced engine modelling give the team a technological edge, but human instinct remains paramount.

“Technology empowers people,” says Harington. “It allows us to perform at our best, but ultimately, it is the human decisions, the driver and the engineers who make the difference between winning and losing.”

After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concluded and the season came to a close, the cars rolled off the track, and the team’s digital heartbeat continued behind the scenes. For Oracle Red Bull Racing, the future is clear: advanced simulations, AI-informed strategy and human instinct form the engine of championship-winning performance.