The American car giant Ford is set to return to Formula One from the 2026 season as technical partner of the Red Bull Racing F1 team. The official announcement is due to be made on Friday 3rd of February during the presentation of the RB19 2023 challenger for the title defence of the Austrian based racing team and its star Dutch driver and current champion Max Verstappen.

The return of Ford to Formula One as engine manufacturer for the Red Bull Racing team from the 2026 season is set to be officially announced on Friday 3 February at the presentation of the Red Bull RB19, which will compete in the 2023 World Championship and will be driven this year by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Leaked announcement

The news has already leaked onto the web after a press release was mistakenly sent to some media outlets and this website has reported on the rumours some time ago, but it will not be officially announced until Friday by the American giant and the reigning world champion team.

Ford’s rivals General Motors attempted to steal a march on the American auto manufacturer competition 2 weeks ago the Andretti Racing announced they were partnering with Cadillac in their F1 entry application.

Illustrious F1 history

Ford has been absent from Formula One since 2004 when the Ford logo was present on the Jordan team’s cars, but remains the third most successful engine manufacturer in F1 history with ten constructors’ championships and thirteen drivers’ championships.

Ford ended their association with Formula One last when they sold the then owned Jaguar team to Red Bull in 2004 and withdrew from the sport. And so a Ford/Red Bull hookup would contain a tinge of irony given the history of the Milton Keynes based squad.

Red Bull Ford goals

Formula One and the FIA’s commitment to sustainability through greater use of electricity and sustainable fuels is one of the main reasons why Ford has reportedly decided to return to motorsport’s elite category from 2026 as a technical partner to Red Bull.

Formula 1 will become a platform for Ford to continue to innovate and share ideas and technologies that will then be used in the brand’s increasingly electrified production models.

It is clear that Ford recognises Formula 1’s growing role in motorsport as a marketing weapon, just as the VW Group has realised with Audi. The growing popularity of the sport in America would also plays a role in this move toward Red Bull.

For Ford, it is only a financial and not a technical collaboration. For Red Bull, this set-up is a welcome additional financial boost for the Powertrains project, for the company committing to the engine there is something to gain PR-wise if the powerplant (in combination with the car) proves competitive.

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