Ford set for Formula 1 return after 20-year absence as Red Bull engine partner

Ford will return to Formula 1 after two decades out of the sport.

The manufacturer quit the grid at the end of the 2004 season but announced in New York on Friday that it was making a comeback as an engine partner with both Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

The partnership will create Red Bull Ford Powertrains to supply both teams from 2026, when new engine regulations come into play until 2030 at least.

Those new, greener engines will include a 350kw electric motor, and Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company had been lured back by the change in regulations.

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

Another factor in Ford’s return is believed to be F1’s success in cracking the United States, partly in thanks to Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’ which has paved the way for three American races in 2023.

Ford is one of the most successful marques in Formula 1 history. It played a role in 10 constructors’ championships and 13 drivers’ titles.

At the partnership unveiling, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership.

“They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations. From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself. For us at Red Bull Powertrains to open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting.”