Atento Colapinto: Alpine bets on quantum computing to enhance its simulations for the future of F1

The first step has already been taken in Enstone

The project made its first concrete advance in July 2026, when representatives from Alpine, SEALSQ, and ColibriTD met in Enstone to define a roadmap and identify priority areas where the technology will be evaluated. The next objective will be to develop a proof of concept that allows testing its utility within the team's working environment and determining if it can be effectively incorporated into its engineering processes.

David Sanchez, executive technical director of Alpine, emphasized the importance of exploring new tools to interpret the data obtained during development. "We are in a constant search for a better understanding in all areas and we always analyze how emerging technologies can help us extract information from data and simulations to support our engineering decisions. Working with SEALSQ and ColibriTD gives us an interesting opportunity to explore the potential of quantum technology within our current environment," he explained.

The Formula 1 is not only evolving on the asphalt. While teams are searching for every millisecond in their cars, Alpine decided to deepen its investment in a technology that is still in an experimental stage, but could change the way it processes its data: quantum computing.

The team that includes Franco Colapinto expanded its collaboration with SEALSQ, a company specialized in security and solutions for this technology, with the aim of incorporating hybrid quantum-classical simulation tools into its engineering processes. The initiative will also involve the technology of ColibriTD, a company linked to SEALSQ and specialized in this type of development.

The alliance represents a continuation of the agreement that both companies began in November 2025, although now the focus is expanding. Alpine aims to analyze the potential of these tools in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), thermal and structural studies, as well as various multiphysics problems.

What Alpine seeks with quantum computing

More than replacing the systems it already uses, the goal is to obtain more information from the available calculations. In a category where every design decision can depend on huge amounts of data, the ability to process them more efficiently could provide an advantage in car development.

The project takes on special relevance in the context of Formula 1 in 2026, marked by a new generation of cars and power units. While teams face regulatory limits on their development and simulation resources, any tool capable of improving the utilization of that capacity can become a differentiating factor.