Formula 1’s push into sustainable fuels and hybrid technology has lured Ford back to the sport for the first time in 20 years. The Blue Oval will partner with reigning world champions, Red Bull Racing, to build engines for the team beginning from 2026.
“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,” announced Bill Ford, executive chair for his family’s business. “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.”
Ford has a long history in the sport, dating back to 1967 when it introduced the Cosworth DFV V8 engine that would go on to dominate the sport of the next decade. Ford powered world championships for Lotus, McLaren, Williams and more and helped famous drivers including Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti and Australia’s own Alan Jones to driver’s crowns.
Ford’s last world championship season was 1994, when Michael Schumacher won the driver’s title driving in his Benetton-Ford. Fittingly, his teammate that year was Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull Racing’s current world champ, Max.
Red Bull Powertrains currently builds the team’s Honda-based hybrid V6 engines, but F1 will introduce new regulations for the 2026 season. These new rules will put an onus on sustainable ‘efuels’ as well as powerful hybrid systems capable of producing 350kW of power.
Ford will assist Red Bull Powertrains with its knowledge of combustion engines as well as electric motors and battery technology in order to build a competitive engine to compete against Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, Audi and Alpine. The two companies will begin working together almost immediately, even if the first car likely won’t hit the track for two years.
Ford CEO, Jim Farley, said the return to F1 comes at a time when the sport is putting more focus on its road-relevant technologies but also enjoying a popularity boom thanks to initiatives like the Netflix doco-series, Drive to Survive.
“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,” Farley said. “F1 will be an incredibly cost-effective platform to innovate, share ideas and technologies, and engage with tens of millions of new customers.”
For Red Bull Racing the partnership with Ford is a significant bonus, with the team looking for a partner for its Powertrains operation since Porsche backed out of an expected deal midway through 2023.
“It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula One through this partnership,” said Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO, Christian 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.”
Keyword: Why Ford is returning to Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing: Blue Oval joins world champions for long-awaited return to the sport's top category