Fan engagement accelerates one year after relaunch

ARMONK, N.Y., May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Formula 1 season arrives in United States for the first time in 2026 for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Ferrari today introduced – new and enhanced AI powered capabilities to the Scuderia Ferrari app experience. The highly interactive features were designed to bring Scuderia Ferrari's passionate global fanbase of nearly 400 million Tifosi closer than ever to the team, the drivers and the cars they love – on race day and beyond.

Built with IBM watsonx, the enhanced AI Companion acts as a digital guide, helping fans uncover everything from race‑week insights to Scuderia Ferrari HP history in a more intuitive and personalized way. Conversation-style prompts can be used to ask questions about the team, the drivers, the race season and more (e.g. "How does the SF-26 differ from previous Ferrari and/or Formula 1 cars?"). Watsonx Orchestrate technology is then used to surface contextual responses grounded in current and historical Scuderia Ferrari HP data, as well as curated knowledge sources.

The new unified Game Center is a dynamic destination where fans can participate in race predictors, quizzes and challenges tied to live Grand Prix moments. With global leaderboards, digital achievements and badges, and social media based competition, the Game Center transforms each race weekend into a playful, shared experience for all Tifosi — deepening connections and driving repeat engagement across the season. Within the Game Center, the new always-on Countdown Quiz complements existing Daily and GP-specific quizzes with a timed format that challenges users to test their knowledge against a 60-second limit. The new Achievements tab – located in the Profile section – features digital badges that fans can unlock through participation, with functionality to easily share their accomplishments across social networks.

Across race weekends, the enhanced Race Center experience complements this interactivity by delivering deeper detailed session timelines as the action on track unfolds, improved real-time driver data, and curated insights that follow Scuderia Ferrari HP from practice through to race day.

"Fans today expect more than just access to information — they want to feel closer to the action, to the drivers, the teams, and to each other," said Jonathan Adashek, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM. "By putting AI at the core of the Scuderia Ferrari HP app experience, we are transforming how millions of Tifosi engage with the sport. It is a powerful example of how technology can turn data into meaningful, memorable experiences at scale."

As the Official Fan Engagement and Data Analytics Partner for Scuderia Ferrari HP, IBM worked closely with the team to redesign and redevelop their mobile app experience, putting watsonx AI at the core of the experience. Since relaunching in May 2025, monitoring has showed that the app has seen a 35% increase in cumulative downloads and a 36% increase in Average Monthly Active Users, with Average Race Active Users increasing by 56%. Engagement has also increased significantly in the past year, evidenced by a 62% increase in Views and a 35% lift in Engaged Sessions.

IBM will continue rolling out new features on the Scuderia Ferrari HP app throughout the 2026 season.

Download the redesigned Scuderia Ferrari mobile app, available for mobile devices, in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Click here to learn more about IBM and the Scuderia Ferrari app.

About IBM
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SOURCE IBM