OpenAI and Ganassi Release New Film on AI-Assisted IndyCar Setup Work

AI-assisted car setup can help secure the best starting position without delivering a successful race. That tension runs through OpenAI and Chip Ganassi Racing’s collaboration with Álex Palou. On October 7, 2026, the partners released episode two of R&D, their documentary following the AI work inside Palou’s team during his latest championship season.

Produced with Box to Box Films, the company behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive, the series follows Palou and the No. 10 team through 2026. Ganassi’s release announcement describes the new installment as a look at how OpenAI’s technology is becoming more integrated into the team’s competitive work.

Hundreds of sensors, limited practice time

An IndyCar generates a continuous stream of information from hundreds of sensors. Engineers also weigh track conditions, tire performance, aerodynamics and suspension components such as springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. The challenge described by Ganassi is selecting useful information from that volume, rather than gathering still more data.

According to the team, OpenAI helps identify relevant information so engineers can apply their experience more quickly to car setup and strategy. The episode compares a race weekend to assembling a puzzle: teams arrive with data, expertise and tools, but have limited practice time to find the right setup.

That account puts the engineers’ judgment at the center of the process. OpenAI’s Joyce Ruffell says the team members are already experts and are finding opportunities to extend that expertise. Race engineer Julian Robertson similarly describes the collaboration as opening the team’s eyes to what is possible.

From Long Beach to a championship

The partnership is older than the film series. OpenAI and Ganassi began exploring racing applications before formally announcing their partnership in March 2025. The first episode, released in May 2026, centered on the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and introduced the project through interviews with racing staff and OpenAI research engineer Johannes Otterbach.

Episode two moves between Ganassi’s Indianapolis headquarters and the inaugural Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C., then follows the later stages of Palou’s season. The headquarters footage covers the collaboration away from the track; the racing footage includes the team responding to a difficult weekend before preparing for its next opportunity.

Ars Technica’s Jonathan M. Gitlin reports that OpenAI helped Palou take pole—the first starting position—on the new Washington circuit, although his race went poorly. Across the season, Palou won eight poles and one-third of the 18 races, twice as many race wins as anyone else.

Palou ultimately secured his fifth title in six seasons and fourth consecutive championship, giving Ganassi its 18th IndyCar title. Those results establish the competitive backdrop. Ganassi’s announcement describes faster use of engineering expertise, but does not quantify how much time the AI tools saved or their contribution to the championship.