AI x Formula 1 at Silverstone
At the British Grand Prix with Mission 44 and IBM, helping students run a virtual pit wall: reading telemetry, finding bottlenecks, and using IBM Bob to fix the code.
This summer, I joined Mission 44 and IBM at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix to help run a hands-on AI x Formula 1 workshop for students.
The workshop
Students acted as F1 pit crews. They analysed data from a virtual car's lap, identified performance bottlenecks, and used IBM Bob to debug and refactor the code before sending the car back out on track.
The approaches varied widely, but the key takeaway was learning how to use AI tools effectively. I worked with the students on prompting the agent well: breaking down telemetry problems, writing clear instructions, and evaluating the AI's suggestions instead of blindly trusting them.
Why it mattered
The workshop also gave the students a front-row seat to what IBM actually builds and what a future in software development could hold for them. Showing them that these same engineering workflows are used in the industry every day made the career path feel much more real.
Huge thanks to Mission 44 and IBM for organising such a great event, and to the students for bringing sharp questions and genuine curiosity to the pit wall.