The Guest – Jorge Belenguer, Head of Software Engineering and Data, BWT Alpine F1
Jorge Belenguer has over 15 years of experience in the software industry, 10 of which has been spent working for Formula 1 teams. He is now the Head of Software Engineering and Data at BWT Alpine Formula One Team.
With over a decade in F1, Jorge shares how software powers everything from car design to race strategy, and how it serves as a crucial competitive differentiator, even in a sport dominated by mechanical engineering. He explains why the F1 software ecosystem is so unique, how data and AI are shaping the future of racing, and what kind of tech talent thrives in this high-speed, high-stakes environment. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, motorsport fan, or just curious about the intersection of elite sport and software, this episode delivers insight at full throttle.
Some highlights of this episode include:
- Role of Software in F1
- Competitive Edge and Secrecy in Hiring
- Software as a Strategic Investment vs. the Car
- Use of AI and Simulations Due to On-Track Limitations
- Cultural Fit in F1: Startup vs. Corporate Mentalities
Q:You know, every couple of years, there’s like a big fundamental shift in the car and stuff like that. How much does that all change your software and all that stuff?
“The car changes every week… if you look at the car for circuits as different as Monaco and Monza… it’s 80 or 90% different… On the software side, we basically need to adapt to that. We need to create systems that are flexible enough that when you need to change that, we don’t need to make new releases per event… We try to convince people that there is real value investing upfront into building a system that is flexible, modular enough to make those changes easy and focus on what is really important, which is changing the car.”
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