Ford is Red Bull’s engine partner in Formula 1 from 2026. What initially was primarily considered a sponsorship deal is now intensive technical cooperation, according to the American motorsport chief.
A new era begins in 2026-for Formula 1 and Red Bull. In the racing class of racing, a new engine regulations will apply from next season, the electrical share of the drive increases to 50 percent.
And Red Bull will then send Max Verstappen into the race for the first time with engines specially made in Milton Keynes.
The Ford logo will emerge on the Red Bull engines. The Americans get on the bulls after talks with Porsche failed in 2023.
The deal between Red Bull and Ford was initially primarily considered commercial cooperation. According to Fords Motorsport Director Mark Rushbrook, the Americans are now fully involved in both electric motor and the combustion engine.
“We wanted to learn something about electrification: battery cell chemistry, engines, inverter, calibration, control and how everything collapsed with the combustion engine. We wanted to learn something about optimizing fuel efficiency,” explained Rushbrook in an interview with “Motorsport Aktuell” the background of the F1 entry of his brand.
Formula 1: Ford also works on the Red Bull burner
However, a lot has happened in the two and a half years since the beginning of the partnership. “In the beginning we didn’t want to work so much on the burner, but now we do it because we obviously can still learn a lot in this area. Here we help especially with the production of the parts,” he said.
Rushbrook’s conclusion: “So we are now working almost on the whole car – and also on the operational side.”
Ford is therefore much more involved in the entire development process of the 2026 racing car. The Americans were most recently represented in the F1 from 2000 to 2004 – with the racing brand Jaguar as a factory team.
“When we last had a work team with Jaguar, we had to learn that we couldn’t do it so well. No matter where in the world, we have no full manufacturer’s program,” said Rushbrook with a view to the other approach with Red Bull.
“We were pretty lucky with our timing, which Red Bull had. They had just decided (2023, editor. “It was still a very early stage, but already there they noticed that the resources are limited even for a large Formula 1 team. Especially since they had never developed their own engine in Milton Keynes.”
There were “many reasons” for Ford to return to Formula 1, said Rushbrook. “The new regulations that sport is committed to CO₂ neutrality, the new fuels, the popularity of sport.”