After a Two-Decade Hiatus, Ford Announces Its Return to Formula 1 with Red Bull

It's official: Ford will supply F1 engines to Red Bull's racing teams from 2026 through 2030

(Images: Ford)
  • Ford announced a return to Formula 1, teaming up with Red Bull Racing.
  • The Blue Oval will fund engine development the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri teams to meet new regulations in 2026.
  • From that point forward, it will supply engines to both teams from 2026 through 2030.

Ford is back in the Formula 1 game.

The automaker confirmed Friday it would return to the F1 circuit in an official partnership next year. Ford will work with Red Bull Powertrains to develop new power units to meet 2026 regulations. The development will bring a new combustion engine capable of running on fully sustainable fuels, as well as a 350 kW electric motor.

“It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership,” said Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner. The last time Ford participated in the Formula 1 circuit was in 2004, when it sold the Jaguar Formula 1 team to Red Bull Racing.

By that time, the automaker racked up 10 constructor’s championships and 13 driver’s championship titles since 1967. “This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports history that began when my great-grandfather won a race that helped launch our company,” said executive chairman Bill Ford.

This new partnership will see the automaker supply F1 powertrains under the new regulations to the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri teams. According to the announcement, the supply deal with Red Bull will run from 2026 through 2030.

“Ford’s return about Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing is all about where we are going as a company — increasingly electric, software-defined, modern vehicles and experiences,” said Ford president and CEO Jim Farley.

The company released a few teaser videos on the announcement like the one below: