The Ford Motor Company will once again appear in Formula 1 from 2026 thanks to a deal with Red Bull, announced at the team’s 2023 car launch in New York. The OEM will form a long-term strategic partnership with Red Bull Powertrains focused on the development of a new engine for the 2026 technical regulations.
“This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather won a race that helped launch our company,” said executive chair Bill Ford. “Ford, alongside world champions Oracle Red Bull Racing, is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford’s long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible stages.”
Starting in 2023, Ford and Red Bull Powertrains will work to develop the power unit that will be part of the new technical regulations, including a 350kW electric motor and a new combustion engine able to accept fully sustainable fuels, ready for the 2026 season.
“Ford’s return to Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing is all about where we are going as a company – increasingly electric, software-defined, modern vehicles and experiences,” said Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company. “F1 will be an incredibly cost-effective platform to innovate, share ideas and technologies and engage with tens of millions of new customers.”
Ford stated that it will provide technical expertise in all areas where it feels it can add value, including ICE, battery cell and electric motor technology, power unit control software and analytics development.
“It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership,” added Christian Horner, Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO. “As an independent engine manufacturer, to have the ability to benefit from an OEM like Ford’s experience puts us in good stead against the competition. They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations. From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself. For us as Red Bull Powertrains to open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting. 2026 is still a while away but for us, the work already starts as we look to a new future and a continued evolution of Oracle Red Bull Racing.”
