IBM and Ferrari revamp Scuderia Ferrari HP fan app with AI-driven storytelling features

IBM has formed a partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP to overhaul the technology behind Ferrari’s fan app, aiming to increase engagement through more personalized, story-led digital experiences. The collaboration reflects IBM’s push to add Formula One to its roster of major sports partnerships, which the company had identified as a notable gap about two years ago.

Under the IBM-Ferrari partnership, the updated Ferrari fan app has added Italian language support and introduced new interactive and AI-powered features. These include games, AI-written race summaries, behind-the-scenes stories, a predictions feature, and an AI companion designed to answer fan questions.

The initiative draws on the sport’s data intensity: Formula One teams process millions of data points per second during each race, and that information can be repurposed into content that is easier for fans to follow. Ferrari is also using AI to analyze in-app engagement signals—such as content preferences and sentiment from fan messages—to guide what stories it tells and how content is delivered to its global fan base, including the team’s “Tifosi” supporters.

Ferrari has also expanded its focus on fan development, hiring Stefano Pallard to lead the effort. According to the companies, app engagement has trended upward since IBM began working with Ferrari, including a reported 62% increase in engagement over race weekends.

The partnership comes amid a broader trend of technology companies aligning with F1 teams, combining sponsorship visibility with data analytics and AI tools. IBM and Ferrari say their goal is to keep fans engaged throughout the year by deepening personalization and making fans feel recognized through data-driven storytelling.