Ford To Return To Formula 1 As An Engine Supplier

American auto giant Ford Motor has announced that it will return to Formula 1 from 2026 onwards, when the new engine regulations kick in. Ford has partnered with Red Bull Powertrains to make an engine for the new era, and the newly formed Red Bull Ford Powertrains will supply its engines to Red Bull F1 team & AlphaTauri F1 team from 2026 to at least 2030.

Ford last raced in Formula 1 as an engine supplier to Jaguar in 2004.

Speaking about Ford's return to F1, executive chair Bill Ford said: “Ford is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford's long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world's most visible stages.” “Ford's return to Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing is all about where we are going as a company– increasingly electric, software-defined, modern vehicles and experiences”, Ford President and CEO Jim Farley added. “F1 will be an incredibly cost-effective platform to innovate, share ideas and technologies, and engage with tens of millions of new customers.”

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"It's fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership," Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner said. “As an independent engine manufacturer to have the ability to benefit from an OEM's experience like Ford puts us in good stead against the competition.”

Red Bull also unveiled the livery for its 2023 challenger - the RB19 - while announcing the partnership.

Also Read: F1: Haas Becomes The First Team To Unveil The Livery For Its 2023 Challenger

Ford last raced in Formula 1 in 2004, as it provided its Cosworth branded engines to Jaguar. The Jaguar team later become Red Bull in 2005, and incidentally, that is the same team Ford is now partnering with for its 2026 engines. After Honda pulled the plug on F1 as an engine supplier in 2021, Red Bull decided to make its own engines, thereby starting Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT). While Honda has registered an interest in becoming an engine supplier for F1 again in 2026, it will be Ford that partners with Red Bull Powertrains to give engines to Red Bull & its sister team AlphaTauri. These new generation engines will have an even bigger electrical boost (upto 350 kW), and will run on 100 per cent sustainable fuels. Apart from Ford, Audi is also set to join F1 in 2026 - albeit as a full works team instead of just an engine supplier.