Formula 1: Ford to team up with Red Bull after 22 years out of the sport
- Published
Britain's Johnny Herbert drove for the Red Bull-sponsored Sauber Ford team in the 1990s
American car giant Ford is returning to Formula 1 with Red Bull after more than 22 years out of the sport.
The company will part-fund Red Bull's engine from 2026, replacing Honda.
The deal was announced as Red Bull revealed their new car livery for the 2023 F1 season at a launch event in New York on Friday.
"It's fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
Ford, which was last in F1 in 2004, will work to develop the power unit for Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri from 2026 to at least 2030.
Ford says one of the key reasons for its return is its "commitment to sustainability", which aligns with F1's pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to introduce sustainable fuels in F1 cars from 2026.
The power unit will meet F1's new technical regulations, including a 350kW electric motor and a new combustion engine able to accept fully sustainable fuels.
"They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations," added Horner. "From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself.
"To open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting. 2026 is still a while a way, but for us the work already starts as we look to a new future and a continued evolution of Oracle Red Bull Racing."
Ford Motor Company executive chairman Bill Ford added: "This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford's motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather [Henry Ford] won a race that helped launch our company.
"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 Formula 1 history
Jackie Stewart, pictured at the wheel of a Tyrrell-Ford 005 at 1973 Brazilian Grand Prix, won all three of his world titles in Ford-powered cars
Ford has a rich history in Formula 1 and is the third most successful engine manufacturer in the history of the sport behind Mercedes and Ferrari.
The legendary Cosworth DFV V8 engine secured 155 race victories from 1967 and dominated F1 until the advent of the turbo era in the early 1980s.
In total, Ford celebrated 174 grand prix wins, won 10 constructors' titles and 13 drivers' championships, starting with Lotus and Graham Hill in 1968. Further titles followed with the likes of Jackie Stewart, James Hunt and Mario Andretti. Ford's most recent title victory came as its engines powered Benetton's Michael Schumacher to the 1994 drivers' crown.
In 2000, Ford bought the Stewart Grand Prix team and renamed it Jaguar Racing, but the team was sold to Red Bull after five seasons.
The last Ford-powered win was Giancarlo Fisichella's victory for Jordan at Brazil in 2003.
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