NEW YORK — Ford has confirmed it will return to Formula One in 2026 as it joins forces with world champions Red Bull.
The American automotive giant announced its return to the sport on Friday morning at Red Bull’s launch event in New York.
The deal will see Ford team up with Red Bull’s recently formed engine company, Red Bull Powertrains, which is based at the F1 team’s factory in Milton Keynes, England, and is already working on a power unit to meet F1’s new engine regulations for 2026.
Ford’s involvement has been labelled as a strategic partnership and “will provide expertise in areas including battery cell and electric motor technology as well as power unit control software and analytics” and “combustion engine development.”
Red Bull decided to set up its own power unit facility in 2021 after current engine supplier Honda showed uncertainty about its long-term commitment to F1. Red Bull and its sister team, AlphaTauri, will continue to use Honda engines until the end of the current regulation cycle in 2025.
The new power unit regulations for 2026 mean F1 cars will continue to be powered by V6 turbo-hybrids, but with increased electrical power and the use of sustainable synthetic fuels in the internal combustion engine.
“The news today that Ford is coming to Formula One from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula One,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said. “They are a global brand with an incredible heritage in the racing and 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.”
Bill Ford, the car manufacturer’s executive chair, added: “Ford 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.”
The Ford deal will mark the American manufacturer’s first involvement in F1 since it sold its Jaguar team to Red Bull for a nominal fee in 2004. It also coincides with the booming popularity of the sport in the U.S.
Reigning champions Red Bull are still based at the same factory Ford helped set…
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