Ford Also Contributing Engine Tech To F1 Red Bull Project

August 6, 2024 11:54 am

Ford’s decision to re-enter Formula 1 racing via a partnership with the Oracle Red Bull racing team is one that’s fraught with risk, and yet, also the potential for huge rewards. Ford will take over as the power unit manufacturer for Red Bull starting with the 2026 season, and the two entries are already hard at work developing that next-generation piece. Recently, Red Bull opened up its doors to the press to show off just how this process is coming along, and that meeting also produced some interesting revelations as well.

One of those revelations, according to Motorsport.com, is the fact that Ford is helping Red Bull develop more of its new F1 power unit than what both entities previously expected. “Based on our initial discussions, we were only going to contribute to the electrical parts of the 2026 engine, but now we are also contributing to the turbocharger and testing rigs for the combustion engine, also because Ford already had knowledge or equipment for that,” said Ford Motorsports global lead Mark Rushbrook.

This is a big shift given the fact that when Porsche was exploring a partnership with Red Bull, the German brand was seeking a bigger piece of the proverbial pie, at least when it came time to have a say in power unit development. At Ford, that isn’t the case. “We are not saying ‘you have to do it like this,'” Rushbrook added. “No, Red Bull has been in Formula 1 for years, so we mainly ask them what they need from us to be successful together.”

Interestingly, it was a quick email from Rushbrook to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner that set the wheels in motion for this relationship, right around the same time its proposed deal with Porsche was falling through. Now that the two have joined forces in that regard, work on the new F1 power unit remains on track as scheduled, albeit, with incredibly high expectations given Red Bull’s recent run of success.

We’ll have more on Ford’s return to F1 soon, so sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford motorsports news and ongoing Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.