Ford Will Brand Red Bull Engines in 2026
After unveiling their livery in New York City, Oracle Red Bull Racing announced that Ford will be joining the team as their ‘engine supplier’ in 2026. Red Bull parting ways with Honda is no secret, as the Japanese company declared that their mission in F1 was done. The energy drink company then formed their own engine company with the intellectual property and expertise provided by Honda.
Ford will be doing a very similar thing when they join forces in 2026, right at the start of the new engine regulation changes come into place. The American company will provide expertise, and technical input to the power units.
Red Bull has been stuck in this situation since they departed from Renault’s supply of power units when tensions started to rise because of development disagreements. The French company wanted a safer approach, rendering the engine the weakest of the grid at the time; Red Bull on the other hand, wanted more power.
Red Bull found an ally in Honda, but it took them a few years to get to where they are. Honda supplied McLaren for many years, but were heavily criticized for their lack of performance, and unreliability. In 2020, Honda announced that their time in F1 was going to end after the 2021 season, which fatefully, Max Verstappen won.
Red Bull and Honda showed a true display of performance during that emotional season and managed to grasp the win in the last race, during the last lap. It was one of the most amazing Grand Prix in the history of motorsport.
The success probably motivated Honda to prolong their stay in F1 for a few more years. That is why we still see the Honda brand on the Red Bull challengers, however, the deal of selling their intellectual property, and providing expertise to Red Bull was already done.
It was rumored that Porsche was going to be the engine manufacturer for the Milton Keynes team, however, it seems that the German car maker has bigger plans, and wants to introduce a brand-new team of their own to the grid.
Bill Ford, the executive chairman said during Red Bull’s event: "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."
Many manufacturers like Audi, Porsche, and even big names like Andretti have shown a lot of interest in joining F1 ever since the 2026 regulation changes have been announced. F1 even has a detailed list of requirements if anyone wants to join the ‘Big Circus’.
Oracle Red Bull Racing now has 2 World Championships (plus 1 Constructors Championship in 2022) and is certainly favorite once the 2023 season starts. Let’s see how much momentum they can carry over the next 3 seasons that the current regulations have left.
It is crucial for this Red Bull-Ford partnership that the team keeps consistency, and reliability for their power units.
What are your thoughts on this Red Bull-Ford announcement? Can you see the American company sticking in the long term in F1? Can Red Bull stay competitive in 2026? Let me know in the comments below.
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