Formula 1 and Lenovo have taken a major step toward embedding AI at the heart of motorsport operations, following a successful trial of Lenovo’s ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition during the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. The initiative is part of the ongoing multi-year partnership between the global racing league and its official technology partner, designed to explore how AI-enabled edge computing can enhance performance both on and off the track.
Deployed within F1’s portable Event Technical Centre (ETC)—a mission-critical technology hub used at every Grand Prix—the ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition was tested under race-weekend pressure. Early results show promise for how AI PCs might enhance operational efficiency, enable smarter content delivery, and help advance the sport’s broader sustainability goals.
Powered by Intel’s Lunar Lake platform and equipped with Copilot+ capabilities, the laptop brings together a suite of intelligent features such as Smart Modes, Smart Share, and Smart Care. These tools helped improve data processing and collaboration workflows during the Sprint weekend, offering support for everything from broadcast content generation to telemetry coordination.
“As we pursue our goal to be net zero carbon by the end of the decade, the potential of Lenovo’s AI PC platform aligns well with our ambitions,” said Roberto Dalla, Chief Technical and Engineering Officer at Formula 1. “From enhancing productivity to minimizing hardware requirements on site, this technology gives us an edge in both performance and sustainability.”
The ETC is responsible for collecting vital race data and transmitting it to F1’s Media & Technology Centre in the UK—the central hub for broadcast production. By deploying Lenovo’s high-performance, AI-enhanced laptops, F1 hopes to streamline key processes like remote collaboration, content creation, and real-time analytics without the need to increase infrastructure complexity.
Lenovo CTO Dr. Tolga Kurtoglu described the trial as a meaningful proof of concept. “Testing in a high-stakes environment like Formula 1 pushes our technology to its limits,” he said. “This trial showed how AI hardware can support live storytelling and operations while also contributing to sustainability by reducing the physical tech footprint required at each event.”
With robust features like military-grade durability and all-day battery life, Lenovo’s latest ThinkPad could help F1 teams reduce their dependence on bulkier equipment and improve mobility across circuits. Fewer devices mean lower energy use, less shipping-related emissions, and a leaner infrastructure—an important consideration for a sport constantly traveling the globe.
Following the success of the Shanghai test, Formula 1 and Lenovo plan to expand the AI PC program across upcoming races in the 2025 season. While competition remains the core spectacle, this collaboration is increasingly focused on elevating the behind-the-scenes operations that power F1’s global broadcasts and enrich the viewing experience for fans everywhere.
As racing continues to embrace digital transformation, partnerships like this hint at a future where intelligent computing plays as critical a role in strategy and storytelling as it does in speed.
