Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has today announced a multi-year partnership with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team, with its assistant, Claude, referred to as the team’s ‘Official Thinking Partner.’
Claude, the company’s large language model, will be integrated across the entire Williams organization. In practice, this means it will work alongside engineers and team strategists to support how the team thinks, plans and performs across race strategy, car development and operations. As Williams prepares for significant regulatory change in Formula 1, Claude has been poised to “supercharge” the team’s ability to make the “improvements that count.”
According to ESPN, this year will see significant changes to racing cars, including making them nimbler, as well as modifications to racing terminology across the board.
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“Formula 1 is ultimately about the pairing of human endeavor and technical excellence,” explained Mike Krieger, co-lead of Anthropic Labs. “I’ve watched Williams find ways to punch above its weight for years; that’s exactly the kind of team Claude is built for.”
Williams is one of F1’s remaining independent teams, under team principal James Vowles, with drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon. Alongside Claude, the team is aiming to “take the next step towards returning to the front of the grid” after finishing fifth last season.
“We are thrilled to welcome Anthropic to the Atlassian Williams F1 Team and Claude as our Official Thinking Partner. At a time when our team is on a journey to the front, this partnership is an opportunity for us to show what’s possible when you combine elite human talent with the right technology,” said Vowles. “We know that there are no shortcuts to success and look forward to working with Anthropic to continue building long-lasting performance.”
For Anthropic, the partnership reflects a deliberate choice.
“We chose Williams because it is one of F1’s last truly independent teams – it competes on the quality of its thinking and its attention to detail,” added Andrew Stirk, head of brand marketing at Anthropic.
“When we met James and his team, we recognized that immediately. They are world-class problem solvers, focused on the smallest details. That’s the same drive that animates Anthropic. It’s why this partnership felt right from the first conversation.”
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Claude branding will appear on Williams’s cars, drivers and team kit, starting with the 2026 car reveal on February 3, ahead of the season opener in Melbourne. This will be the first chapter in a multi-year partnership.
The partnership debuts with a hero film directed by Dan Tobin Smith, the photographer and director celebrated for his meticulously choreographed still-life and installation work for brands including Apple, Nike, Moncler and Acne.
Titled ‘Thinking Formations,’ the film unfolds in a single, continuous shot, opening close inside the Atlassian Williams F1 Team garage before slowly pulling back to an overhead view. In slow motion, 42 performers move towards the car with the choreographed precision of a pit crew.
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