IBM Is Redefining Ferrari’s Relationship With the Modern Formula 1 Fan

For most of Formula 1’s history as a sport, Ferrari didn’t need fan engagement strategies, digital innovation, or brand storytelling to attract fans. The emblematic red cars, the drivers who filled the seats from Schumacher to Lauda and presently Hamilton and Leclerc, did the work for them.

Ferrari could win, lose, not even start the race, and millions would still wave the flag. That kind of devotion isn’t earned for Ferrari; it's inherited and passed down through families, cultures, and generations who have supported the team over the past 75 years.

That said, F1 is changing. Rapid commercial expansion, shifting demographics (especially in the U.S.), and rising fan expectations mean even Ferrari must adapt to meet fans’ expectations. That is where IBM comes in.

The Heart of the IBM and Ferrari Partnership

Announced at the end of last season, the Ferrari and IBM partnership doesn't entail what many fans and consumers may think — it is a multi-year push to modernize how Ferrari understands, engages, and serves its global fanbase.

The first major outcome of that partnership launched in May: A completely rebuilt Ferrari Mobile App powered by IBM’s cloud, data, and AI capabilities. Kameryn Stanhouse, IBM’s Vice President of Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships told Grand Prix on SI that the team intentionally “moved very quickly”.

So, what exactly was the product brought to fans in May of 2025? A reimagined Scuderia Ferrari App Experience.

According to Stanhouse, the app uses their existing enterprise-level infrastructure and AI power to organize decades of racing data and fan behavior into interactive experiences, from strategy insights and historical storytelling to driver radios, race summaries, exclusive content, and more.

When asked about how Ferrari’s app experience differs from apps that exist for other teams, Stanhouse shared the team’s thought process.

“How do we enhance the strategy across the track? How do we bring people in who are not part of the day-to-day? You're getting exclusive content, harnessing all of the data that we already have from the last 75 years, and creating unique connection points."

"What happened in Vegas years ago? How do we pull up a story about that? How do we use the data and everything that's happening on track to be able to create AI-generated race summaries to show how the strategy for tires varied from race to race? It's about how we use our technology and our components, but also create unique and popular fan moments to make that happen.“

The goal isn’t just to distribute information, it’s to finally understand who the Tifosi are, what they care about, and how they want to participate. Similarly, for the Tifosi to genuinely feel like they are a part of the Ferrari Team. As I would say, ‘shine some light into the black box’ that fans often feel defines the exclusivity of Ferrari.

Why Ferrari Needed a New Fan Playbook

Until recently, Ferrari seemed to have had little understanding of who their fans are. They didn’t know where they live, how they engage, or what they care about.

“They weren’t really noticing that,” Stanhouse said. “They didn’t know who they were. They weren’t creating unique experiences for them.”

Ferrari Vegas IBM Show Car Cosmo | Courtesy of IBM

Ferrari never had to. Newer teams with weak or non-existent commercial brands needed activations, trending social content, and community to survive. Ferrari simply existed and fans showed up. Now, the goal is to engage the current fan base and capture the next generation.

In today’s Formula 1 audience, fans are simply different. The audience is younger, global, tech-savvy, and hungry to participate, not just observe.

“We have been in the business of fan engagement since the 90s. Everything we do in every partnership is bringing fans closer to their favorite sports. It’s so exciting to see what technology we’re going to be able to bring, and how we continue to deliver exclusive content that you can’t get anywhere else. People forget the only reason any of this exists is because fans exist and are willing to pay attention.”

Technology that Supports and Honors Ferrari’s Legacy

IBM hasn’t just built out fan-facing features for Ferrari, alone. They have built out an infrastructure that is designed to scale globally and reliably across industries and sports.

“We can handle the load,” Stanhouse said. “We run cybersecurity for NATO and 100% of financial transactions are done with IBM software.”

That level of infrastructure doesn’t just power digital experiences, but it reinforces credibility and accuracy for fans, other sponsors, Ferrari, and the sport at large.

Maya Weug Ferrari F1 Academy — Motorsport driver Maya Weug (64) during F1 Academy race 2 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. | David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Ferrari Driver Academy and F1 Academy Driver, Maya Weug, also shared with Grand Prix on SI the impact that she sees from inside the system.

“Data and technology is super important in motorsports because we’re talking about such tight margins. It's great to see so many huge brands supporting us in the end. It's a sport which is a bit different than other sports, where you really need that financial backing and that support from big brands, otherwise you cannot make it through motorsports.”

IBM’s role within Ferrari’s system isn’t just about elevating the present through their technology and data, but future-proofing Ferrari for stakeholders, drivers, and fans.

The New Era of Tifosi Engagement

For IBM, the future of fan engagement for Ferrari isn’t to commercialize the brand, but to make the fan relationships intentional and meaningful beyond what can be captured on social media or by Lewis, Charles, Maya, and the team.

“One of the things I love that we’re doing is really putting a face to AI and telling fan stories. People forget the only reason any of this exists is because fans exist," said Stanhouse. "Everything we do in every partnership is to bring fans closer to their favorite sports. So, whether that's through taking billions of data points and being able to translate them to interesting stories, interesting interactive components, that's always been who we are and what we bring for sport.”

The core of the partnership is that Ferrari has always inspired loyalty, but now that loyalty can be acknowledged, measured, and physically made to be a part of the brand and the team.

It’s a modernization of a Ferrari brand that has been around for the better part of a century. In turn, IBM gains a storytelling platform powerful enough to influence its own brand perception.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari — Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Looking to the future, Stanhouse shared that exclusive content, rich explanations of on and off-track data, stories of actual Ferrari Fans, and a level of ‘access’ yet to be achieved by Ferrari.

In all, with IBM as a part of the Ferrari Fandom, the future of the Tifosi belongs to the fans. Ferrari is meeting the Tifosi exactly where they’ve always been… at the center of the story.

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