Two years ago, IBM identified a significant gap in its lineup of sports partnerships: Formula One. The racing series has surged in global popularity, particularly in the United States, where Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” offered an inside look at the lives of F1 drivers, elevating them to mainstream stardom. This tech-heavy sport has also become a magnet for companies like AWS, Oracle, and Anthropic, which collaborate with teams for sponsorship visibility and to supply data analytics and AI tools that provide a competitive advantage. So when IBM sought its next major sports collaboration, it came as no surprise that the company chose F1 and one of its most legendary teams, Scuderia Ferrari HP. Central to this partnership is the drive for access to advanced technological solutions—especially artificial intelligence—that can maximize performance, a trend that has led other teams to seek similar alliances with tech giants. As Stanhouse noted, one of the greatest assets of sports is the wealth of data available, which can help people become more comfortable with AI. “They actually see how it serves them,” she remarked, referring to how AI enhances sports storytelling.

The IBM-Ferrari partnership revolves around this storytelling concept, aiming to boost fan engagement by revamping the technology behind the Ferrari fan app. To achieve this, Ferrari appointed Stefano Pallard to the newly created role of “head of fan development.” He explained that the team’s challenge was not merely reaching fans, but “making each of them feel like we know them.” During each race, teams process millions of data points per second, tracking every move of the driver and car. Converting this data into engaging content for fans exemplifies how advanced enterprise AI can improve consumer interactions. Among the 11 F1 teams, Ferrari is one of a few—alongside McLaren and Williams—to pursue a standalone fan app strategy rather than depending solely on social media or official F1 platforms, highlighting the sport’s gradual move to capitalize on its expanding global audience.

Some app improvements were straightforward, such as adding an Italian language option. Despite Ferrari being an Italian company with a large Italian fan base, the app was not available in Italian until the IBM partnership. Stanhouse noted that the old Ferrari fan app was a place where users would check race details and then leave. The revamped app now includes games for fans to play together, AI-generated race summaries, additional behind-the-scenes stories about the team and drivers, a prediction feature, and an AI companion for answering questions. “There are two drivers, but did you know it takes 24 people working simultaneously in two seconds to change a tire?” Stanhouse said, emphasizing that storytelling helps fans feel more connected to the team. Unlike other sports apps IBM has built, Stanhouse explained that the Ferrari app’s primary focus is storytelling, aiming to keep fans engaged year-round rather than just for a few weeks, as with events like the Masters. Engagement data has been rising since IBM got involved, with Stanhouse citing a 62% increase in engagement during race weekends as an example.

Pallard noted that the team uses AI to analyze engagement signals within the app, such as popular content and the sentiment of fan messages. “That helps us understand what resonates most with the Tifosi [the nickname for Ferrari fans] and it directly informs how we shape our storytelling and how we deliver content,” he said. The team plans to delve deeper into personalization and create more immersive fan experiences. The app developers also considered Ferrari’s increasingly diverse fan base, which has shifted significantly in the past five years. F1 data from last year revealed that 75% of new fans were women, many from Gen Z. A particular attraction for women is the F1 Academy, an all-female racing series aimed at developing the next generation of women drivers. Yet these new fans, like the old, are seeking more. “They are asking for more data, more insight, more features, and we have to be able to deliver that,” Pallard said. “With IBM, the vision for the next five years is to make every fan feel like the experience was built for them, whether they have been with us for 30 years or 30 days. That is how you build loyalty that lasts.”