Ford’s decision to return to Formula 1 racing after forging a partnership with the Oracle Red Bull racing team is one that’s filled with its fair share of risk, and yet, also the potential for big rewards. Ford will take over as the power unit manufacturer for Red Bull starting with the 2026 season, and the two entities are already hard at work developing that next-generation piece. However, this opportunity only arose after Porsche explored that same partnership and ultimately pulled out, though now, we know at least part of the reason why that was the case.
In a recent interview with Motorsport.com, Ford Motorsports global lead Mark Rushbrook revealed that the automaker is helping Red Bull develop more of its new F1 power unit than what both entities previously expected – contributing to testing rigs for the combustion engine, as well as its turbochargers, along with the electrical components of the hybrid system. Regardless, Rushbrook also stressed that Ford isn’t trying to have quite as much oversight into this process with Red Bull as Porsche was seeking.
“We are not saying ‘you have to do it like this,'” Rushbrook said of its relationship with the highly-successful F1 team. “No, Red Bull has been in Formula 1 for years, so we mainly ask them what they need from us to be successful together.”
As Ford Authority previously reported, 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.
Comment
I’m sure that Ford is tapping it’s racing partners here like M-Sport and others to give this effort the best chance of succeeding as possible. I know everyone who cares is hoping for another Cosworth experience. Not minimizing the risk component…it certainly looms large.