With major regulation changes coming in 2026, every Formula One team is completely revamping their power unit programs. That includes Red Bull Racing (RBR), which is helping revive the Ford F1 program in a big way, and the two are barreling toward competition next year with eyes on the prize.
Notably, the new F1 power units must source harness a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) paired with a state-of-the-art energy recovery system. However, said engines must generate more than 1,000 horsepower than prior power units while sipping less fuel. In addition, half of that power must be sourced from the electric portion of the drivetrain, which is three times more than current regulations. They’ll also rely solely on sustainable fuels, and for an even bigger challenge, teams are only allowed three power units per entry per season.
Electrification may be a cornerstone of the 2026 regulations – and part of what initially attracted Ford – but the automaker’s F1 ambitions stretch far beyond just EV tech. Ford Performance head Mark Rushbrook says that the RBR partnership will yield valuable information for future Blue Oval efforts, including the mass production of 3D-printed parts.
As a reminder, Ford is not a full-works engine supplier to RBR. The team itself still handles most of the development and assembly of its own power units while The Blue Oval provides engine tech behind the scenes. But that doesn’t mean that Ford is hands-off in the project. Ford Performance has already accelerated production of F1 components to make sure everything’s in place for 2026, while Ford execs were invited to speak with F1 leadership to discuss the sport’s future.
Ford has found plenty of success in F1 throughout its history in motorsports, even though it’s been out of the game for nearly 20 years. In particular, the new RBR-Ford F1 engine project has proved to be a complicated process – more complicated than the development of the entire Ford Mustang GT3 race car.
Comment
Speaking of Red Bull, it may be time to set Max Verstappen loose in the GTD to regain the American Nurenbergring record. He said in his latest video taking a couple of quick laps in the car, that he felt that he could take a few seconds off of the cars current best time. That would put it back out in front of the Corvette.