Ford is making a comeback to the pinnacle of motorsports, returning to Formula 1 more than two decades after dropping out.
The automaker will reenter F1 with Red Bull in 2026, when new regulations will require teams to increase electrical power by as much as 50% and use fully sustainable ethanol as fuel.
Audi also plans to join then, and while Porscheâs talks with Red Bull recently faltered, itâs still eyeing a way into the racing series.
Ford has a rich history in F1, winning 10 Constructorsâ championships and 13 driversâ championships during a roughly decade-and-a-half stretch that ended in the early 1980s.
Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley is a longtime racing enthusiast and competed in his first professional race last month at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.
âIâm more relevant to our designers and our engineers. Iâm not some disconnected CEO,â Farley told auto-enthusiast magazine Road & Track. âIt keeps me fresh, being around car people. Iâm not at a country club playing golf. Iâm with my people. The most intense users.â
.@jimfarley98 knows how to make an entrance @CCCManhattan đ ⥠#FordReturns pic.twitter.com/qiSGonr95x
â Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) February 3, 2023
F1âs popularity has soared since billionaire John Maloneâs Liberty Media acquired the franchise in a $4.4 billion deal in 2017.
The once-stodgy and European-centric sport has cultivated a new generation of fans with a direct-to-consumer streaming service and the popular Netflix series âDrive to Survive.â The 2022 season averaged 1.21 million viewers per race, up 28% from a record set the prior year, according to ESPN.
Bloomberg reported last month that Saudi Arabiaâs sovereign wealth fund considered an attempt to add F1 to its growing portfolio of sports investments at a more than $20 billion valuation, though the potential deal faltered at the early stages because Liberty Media wasnât interested in selling.
Red Bull and Ford announced Friday that theyâll partner on development of next-generation hybrid power units that both the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri teams will use from 2026 to at least 2030.
The automaker will provide expertise in areas including battery cells electric motors, as well as power unit control software and analytics.
Fordâs crosstown rival General Motors Co. also is attempting to enter F1 by partnering with Michael Andretti, the son of legendary driver Mario Andretti.
The sportâs governing body opened up an application process for prospective teams on Wednesday, weeks after FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said he welcomed the news of Andrettiâs tie-up with GMâs Cadillac and looked forward to further discussion.
Ford and F1 scheduled a briefing for 9:45 a.m. New York time at the Ford Performance divisionâs website to share more details on the automakerâs return.
Keyword: Ford is returning to Formula 1