NEW YORK — On Friday, Ford announced its return to Formula One as a partner of Red Bull’s nascent powertrains division. The deal will see the famous Blue Oval back on the F1 grid from 2026 onwards, although its involvement in F1 will remain a step short of the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault (via the brand Alpine), and 2026 newcomers Audi.
Since setting up its powertrains division in 2021, Red Bull has made no secret of its desire to partner with a major OEM [original equipment manufacturer]. Uncertainty over the future F1 involvement of current engine supplier Honda led the team to take matters into its own hands and commit to building its own engines for the next set of F1 power unit regulations in 2026.
It was a huge step for a team that had previously relied on engine partners such as Honda and Renault for one of the most expensive but also performance sensitive components of the car. If necessary, Red Bull would go it alone to ensure it secured its power unit future for 2026, but it was also aware of the sheer size and cost of embarking on the project without the backing of a major car manufacturer.
In its search for a power unit partner Red Bull came close to a deal with Porsche but the German manufacturer wanted shares and control over the team in return – something Red Bull was not willing to sacrifice. The Ford deal, in contrast, will see no team ownership change hands, while still offering significant commercial and technical support in exchange. Win-win for Red Bull.
“It’s a very different relationship to what was discussed with Porsche,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said. “This is purely a commercial and technical deal, so there’s no exchange of any shares or participation within the business.
“It’s a very straightforward agreement where we will have the ability to share and access to R&D, particularly on the EV side, and sell technology software development and so on.
“Then on the commercial side, with Ford being so prevalent in the US. As a commercial partner, it helps us achieve even more penetration in that market.”
From Ford’s perspective, the deal offers a route back to F1 at a time when the sport is booming without the need to make a heavy investment in an F1-specific factory. It also gives the company a high-profile position in the sport and — given Red Bull’s recent history in F1 — an obvious route to championship success. What’s more, the contract with Red Bull runs…
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