Formula One confirmed on Friday that Ford would return to the competition in 2026 as part of a partnership with Red Bull Racing.
According to ESPN’s Laurence Edmondson, this will be Ford’s first involvement in Formula One since selling its Jaguar team to Red Bull in 2004.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali issued a statement regarding Ford’s upcoming return, saying:
“The announcement today that Ford will join Formula One in 2026 is fantastic news for the sport, and we are pleased to see them join the excellent automotive partners who already participate. They are a global brand with an outstanding pedigree in the racing and automotive worlds, and they recognize the enormous value that our platform gives to almost half a billion people worldwide.
“Our promise to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and to use sustainable fuels in F1 vehicles beginning in 2026 is also a key reason for their choice to enter F1. We feel that our sport offers unparalleled opportunities and reach, and we can’t wait to see the Ford logo racing around F1’s classic circuits in 2026.”
According to Edmondson, the cooperation between Red Bull and Ford will be mostly centered on the team’s power unit, as Honda has decided to exit Formula One in 2020.
Red Bull Racing will continue to use Honda engines through the 2025 season, after the Japanese company agreed to renew its partnership with the team. Beginning in 2026, however, it will switch to Ford.
Ford and Red Bull Powertrains will collaborate at the team plant to fulfill F1’s new engine regulations beginning in 2026. According to a news statement, Ford “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 has established itself as the dominant team in Formula One over the last two seasons, with driver Max Verstappen winning each of the last two World Drivers Championships. It also won its first Constructors Championship since 2013, in 2022.
Prior to Verstappen’s back-to-back victories, a Mercedes driver had won seven consecutive championships, but Red Bull is back on top of the sport, and it has an intriguing new collaboration with one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers.
