Dive Brief:
- McLaren Racing is teaming up with Intel to provide real-time insights on significant amounts of data generated by its Formula 1 and IndyCar racing teams, the two companies shared on Thursday.
- Intel will provide trackside edge computing, which will enable real-time analytics on telemetry and simulation data, and assist with race day decision-making, the company said in an announcement. McLaren named Intel its compute partner, meaning the company will also deploy advanced computing to power virtual replicas called digital twins and AI platforms that enable predictive modeling and speed design cycles.
- “This collaboration builds on a broader trend across Formula 1, where deep technology partnerships are becoming a competitive differentiator — integrating infrastructure from factory to track to deliver faster insights and improved performance,” the Intel announcement said.
Dive Insight:
McLaren’s partnership with Intel further capitalizes on the use of data analytics to improve racing strategies by deploying advanced compute power and AI for real-time insights.
Intel’s agreement with McLaren, which competes across four racing series and has 23 Formula 1 world championships, includes using Xeon and Core Ultra processors to support the racing company’s critical data workloads, such as race strategy analytics, real-time decision systems and aerodynamic analysis. Xeon is a high-performance computing CPU for servers and workstations while Core Ultra processors are advanced CPUs for AI workloads.
“Performance in IndyCar and Formula 1 racing is driven by technology, and partnering with Intel strengthens our ability to innovate at scale,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown said in the announcement. “Intel has already been an important part of our technology ecosystem, and their leadership in computing will play a critical role in how we design, build and race our cars.”
Intel is in the midst of a turnaround effort that is being propelled by rising demand for AI compute across industries. Global IT spend is expected to reach $6.31 trillion in 2026 as AI workloads continue to scale and increase demand for high-performance compute, according to Gartner.
Demand for Intel’s Xeon processors is outpacing its supply as CPUs remain a critical component for frontier AI, CEO Lip-Bu Tan told investors, referring to the most advanced AI models, during the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call in April.
The company’s CPU franchise will remain a growth engine for Intel in the years ahead, Tan said during the call.
“The backbone of AI computing in production remains a CPU-anchored architecture,” Tan said.
