McLaren edges Ferrari in AI visibility. Only 0.3 points separate the top two.
We put 30 questions about Formula 1 to seven AI engines and analysed 207 answers, worldwide. McLaren (62.8) and Ferrari (62.5) are almost level at the top, Ferrari is the favourite of four engines, and Williams (26.5) is the best-placed of the smaller teams.
207AI answers analysed
30questions
7answer engines
11brands
The leaderboard
Which teams AI talks about most
The visibility score combines how often and how early a team is named; McLaren and Ferrari are each mentioned in 83.6% of answers.
| # | Brand | AI visibility score | Share of voice | Sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 63 | 17% | 90 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 63 | 17% | 78 |
| 3 | Mercedes | 50 | 16% | 87 |
| 4 | Red Bull Racing | 44 | 14% | 80 |
| 5 | Williams | 27 | 9.9% | 82 |
| 6 | Haas | 15 | 5.9% | 77 |
| 7 | Aston Martin | 12 | 5% | 72 |
| 8 | Audi | 10 | 4.2% | 74 |
| 9 | Alpine | 9 | 4.3% | 55 |
| 10 | Cadillac | 9 | 2.6% | 85 |
| 11 | Racing Bulls | 8 | 3.5% | 87 |
Engine by engine
Every AI has its favourite
McLarenFerrariMercedesRed Bull RacingWilliamsHaasAston MartinAudiAlpineCadillacRacing Bulls
ChatGPT67454824186853104
Perplexity4751372719555387
Gemini64725655251418111068
AI Overviews615950442714592711
Claude65685253392623121878
DeepSeek69754752321815131565
Meta AI6767595325241015151814
Engines split on the leader: ChatGPT, AI Overviews and Meta AI pick McLaren, while Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and DeepSeek pick Ferrari.
What AI says
How AI describes each team
The quotes and words show engines casting Ferrari as historic, Red Bull as dominant, Mercedes as consistent and the smaller teams as underdogs or midfield.
“Scuderia Ferrari is the most successful Formula 1 team of all time, leading the sport in both World Constructors' Championships (16) and Grand Prix victories.”“If you want a team that's easy to follow and well covered - McLaren: They've been near the front recently and have a young, likeable driver lineup.”“Red Bull is probably the strongest pick for recent car-development reputation, especially for its aerodynamic work and the cars that dominated in 2022–23; the RB19 won 21 of 22 races in 2023.”“Williams Racing (Patrick Head & Adrian Newey): In the early 1990s, Williams was the absolute engineering peak of the sport, creating the technologically unmatched FW14B and FW15C with active suspension, traction control, and…”The words AI uses for each team
McLarenhistoricpopulardominant
Ferrarihistoriciconicclosest challenger
Mercedesconsistentpolishedreliable
Red Bull Racingdominantpopularruthless
Williamshistoricunderdogdominant
Haasunderdogscrappymidfield
Aston Martinrisingmidfieldunderdog
Audiworks teammanufacturerrising
Alpinemidfieldunderdogdistinctive
Cadillacbrand-newamericanamerican team
Racing Bullsmidfieldjunior teamreliable
Sources
Where AI gets its knowledge about Formula 1
AI leans most on the official formula1.com site, then on community platforms like Reddit, YouTube and Facebook, alongside Wikipedia and specialist F1 news sites.
formula1.com35%
reddit.com14%
en.wikipedia.org13%
youtube.com13%
facebook.com10%
planetf1.com7.2%
crash.net4.3%
racingnews365.com4.3%
Surprises
Three things we didn't expect
Beyond the top-two race, the results show a few surprising gaps, favourites and descriptions.
01Red Bull trails the top threeRed Bull Racing scores 43.7, behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes (49.8). It is named in 68.6% of answers, against 83.6% for the two leaders.
02Four engines back Ferrari, three McLarenPerplexity, Gemini, Claude and DeepSeek put Ferrari first, with DeepSeek giving it the highest engine score in the study at 75.3. ChatGPT, AI Overviews and Meta AI choose McLaren.
03Alpine's sentiment is far below the restAlpine's sentiment score is 55, the lowest on the board and well below McLaren's 90. Cadillac, a brand-new team, scores 85 despite a visibility of only 8.8.
Methodology
How we ran the Index
Questions30 questions real fans ask about Formula 1, covering best teams, history, value, underdogs, engineering, finances and younger fans.
EnginesChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews, Claude, DeepSeek, and Meta AI.
When & whereOctober 15, 2026. Asked worldwide (no single country), in English. Each question was asked once on every engine.
ScoringVisibility = share of answers that mention the brand, weighted by position. Sentiment scored 0–100.
See all 30 questions
- Which Formula 1 team is the best to support if I'm new to the sport?
- What are the most successful Formula 1 teams of all time?
- Which F1 team has the best chance of winning the championship in the next few years?
- Which Formula 1 team has the most loyal fanbase around the world?
- Which F1 team has the best engineering and car development reputation?
- Which Formula 1 team is the best underdog to cheer for?
- Which F1 teams are the most popular among younger fans?
- Which Formula 1 team has the best history and heritage?
- Which F1 team is best for a fan who loves strategy and clever pit stops?
- Which Formula 1 teams are the newest on the grid and are they worth following?
- Which Formula 1 team has the best driver lineup right now?
- Which F1 team treats its drivers and staff the best?
- Which F1 team has the most dominant era in history, and how do the top teams compare?
- Which Formula 1 team has the best young driver development program?
- Are works teams backed by car manufacturers better than independent F1 teams?
- Which F1 team is the most reliable and consistent in races?
- Which Formula 1 team has the best livery and looks the best on the track?
- Which F1 team has the most exciting personalities and best behind-the-scenes content?
- Where can I buy official Formula 1 team merchandise like caps and shirts?
- Which F1 team sells the best official fan gear and replica kits?
- Which Formula 1 team has the best hospitality and fan experience at race weekends?
- Which F1 team is the most financially stable and best run?
- Which F1 teams have the best chance of a comeback after a bad few seasons?
- Is it better to support a historic F1 team or a rising one?
- Which Formula 1 team is the best choice for a fan who cares about sustainability?
- Which F1 team is the biggest rival of the top teams and why?
- Which Formula 1 teams have been involved in the biggest controversies and scandals?
- Which F1 team is best to support if I want a team with a strong American connection?
- Which Formula 1 team gives the best value for fans buying team memberships or season-long fan packages?
- How do the top Formula 1 teams compare for car speed, strategy and pit crew performance?
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