The BWT Alpine F1 Team and SEALSQ have expanded their partnership, adding a second strand focused on speeding up the physics calculations behind car development, rather than just protecting data.
First announced in November 2025, the partnership now contains a new element that brings in ColibriTD, a Paris-based firm and one of the earliest investments made through SEALSQ’s Quantum Fund – a $200 million initiative launched last year.
ColibriTD has developed technology designed to solve certain complex equations faster and more accurately than classical computing alone.
It specifically solves the kind of calculations used in computational fluid dynamics, thermal analysis and structural simulation, the everyday physics problems an Formula 1 team’s engineers run thousands of times over a season to understand how a car will actually behave before it’s built.
In simple terms, quantum computing doesn’t replace the powerful conventional computers teams already use.
Instead, it works alongside them, taking on specific parts of a calculation that classical computers struggle to solve efficiently, then feeding that result back into the wider simulation process, a “hybrid” approach combining both types of computing rather than relying on quantum hardware alone.
The project remains at an early stage.
Engineers and executives from Alpine, SEALSQ and ColibriTD met at Alpine’s Enstone base in July 2026 to establish an initial roadmap, with the current goal centred on developing a proof of concept rather than deploying anything on the car itself.
“We are in constant pursuit of better understanding in every area and are always looking at how emerging technologies can help us extract insight from data and simulations to underpin engineering decisions,” said David Sanchez, Alpine’s Executive Technical Director.
“Working with SEALSQ and ColibriTD gives us an exciting opportunity to explore the potential of quantum within our existing environment.”
We are in constant pursuit of better understanding in every area and are always looking at how emerging technologies can help us extract insight from data and simulations to underpin engineering decisions.
David Sanchez
The timing carries some weight given this year’s regulation reset. With teams working from a largely blank sheet on car design, getting more accurate insight out of every simulation run, rather than simply running more of them, has real value attached to it.
“This project with BWT Alpine Formula One Team is a perfect application of the Quantum Vertical Sovereign Stack SEALSQ is building through our $200 million Quantum Fund,” said Carlos Moreira, SEALSQ’s Chief Executive Officer.
“By integrating the capabilities of portfolio companies such as ColibriTD within the SEALQuantum.com ecosystem, we are turning quantum technologies into practical solutions that deliver real performance gains in the most demanding industrial environments.”
