Ford coming back to Formula One

Ford has confirmed its historic return to Formula 1, going into partnership with Red Bull Powertrains, as Red Bull Ford.

The Red Bull Ford partnership will provide the power units for both the Oracle Red Bull Racing, and Scuderia AlphaTauri teams from 2026 to at least 2030.

The long term strategic technical partnership with Red Bull powertrains, marks a return to the sport after two decades away, since selling Jaguar to Red Bull.

The news comes hot on the heels of General Motor’s intention to enter F1 after its union with Andretti Autosports. German giant Porsche had been in negotiations with Red Bull in being an engine supplier until talks broke down last year and Ford now stepping in.

Operating under the guidance of avowed petrol head Jim Farley, Ford has reignited its motorsport racing program globally with a series of Mustang cars, including our new Gen3 Supercars racer and soon-to-be-released GT3 version.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen in a special race suit celebrating the Red Bull Ford Powertrains announcement. Image: Supplied

“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 Farley, President and CEO, 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.”

With F1 riding on the back of unprecedented popularity in the US on the back of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, Formula One seems like a logical extension of that newfound vigour.

“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 Bill Ford, executive chair. 

“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.”

Red Bull F1 driver Sergio Perez takes a selfie in the new Red Bull Ford Powertrains race suit.

Ford will work with Red Bull Powertrains on the development of the new engines, operating in much the same way as it did with Cosworth from the mid-1960s, through to the mid-1980s. 

The Ford Cosworth DFV (double four valve) engine won 12 drivers championships, including the 1980 world title with Australia’s Alan Jones.

Ford’s technical expertise will hope to add more sustained success to the back-to-back World Championship Team.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen driving a Sauber C15 carrying Ford and Red Bull signage at the 1996 Canadian Grand Prix. Photo by LAT Images

Going forward, Red Bull and Ford will enter a new era of hybrid technology, exploring new combustion engine development, and key developments like battery cell and electric moor technology, power unit control software, and advanced analytics.

Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner is excited to have such an experienced OEM such as Ford joining the team.“It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership,” said Horner.

“As an independent engine manufacturer, to have the ability to benefit from an OEM’s experience like Ford, 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.”

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez helped drive Red Bull to a crushing constructors championship win last year. Photo by Sam Bloxham / LAT Images

Already the number 2 company in the US when it comes to EV vehicles, Ford is positioning itself to be the pinnacle OEM brand in world motorsport when it comes to current and future technologies. 

An investment of some $50 billion dollars to lead the EV revolution is being committed by the Ford  motor company, driven by the recent success of the F-150 lightning, and Mustang Mach-E, as well as the world leading E-Transit.

In motorsport, it will be the only manufacturer to now bridge the gap of involvement from the grassroots, to the pinnacle of F1.

Its already notable motorsport activity reaches from WEC and IMSA, to WRC’s hybrid Rally1’s, the iconic Dakar and Baja 1000, to NASCAR and Supercars.

“We are entering an exciting new age for Ford Performance,” Farley continues. 

“We will be competing to win in F1, the pinnacle for motor sport, with Red Bull Racing.  

“You will see the world’s most popular sports coupe – the Mustang – race from the grassroots to Australian Supercars, to NASCAR and Le Mans. 

 “We will also build our off-road leadership in the World Rally Championship, to the Baja 1000 and more!”

The big names of the Formula 1 world have also welcomed the news. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said he cannot wait to see the “Blue Oval” back on the F1 grid.

“The news today that Ford is coming to Formula 1 from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula 1,” he said.

“Ford is a global brand with an incredible heritage in racing and the automotive world and they see the huge value that our platform provides with over half a billion fans around the world.

“Our commitment to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and to introduce sustainable fuels in the F1 cars from 2026 is also an important reason for their decision to enter F1.

“We believe that our sport provides the opportunity and reach unlike any other and we cannot wait for the Ford logo to be racing round F1’s iconic circuits from 2026.”

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem believes Ford’s return is a big boost in F1’s new engine rules for 2026.

“There are few manufacturers who have such a celebrated motorsport history as Ford, so to see them coming back to the FIA Formula 1 world championship is excellent news,” he said.

“It further underlines the success of the 2026 Power Unit Regulations that have at their heart a commitment to both sustainability and spectacle, and of course having more interest from the United States is important for the continued growth of the world’s top motorsport category. ”

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