Ford and Red Bull have announced their partnership for the 2026 Formula 1 season, the year where new technical regulations move the sport toward sustainability. Ford and Red Bull will work together on the power units for both Red Bull Racing and its sister team AlphaTauri.

The current championship defender Red Bull had been looking for a technical partner to develop the power unit for 2026. They had to take powertrain development into their own hands after Honda officially pulled out of the sport, only to return a year later.

Back after 22 years

Now, the team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez has found a suitable partner with Ford, which returns to the sport 22 years after selling its Jaguar Racing team to… Red Bull. Ford and Red Bull will work together on the development of the 2026 power unit, with an agreement in place until at least 2030.

Ford’s involvement will likely mostly consist of financial investment and some EV expertise, as Red Bull already has its Powertrains division with an engine factory but lacks the resources needed to develop a competitive package for the 2026 season, which sees a large technical overhaul for the Formula 1 car.

Growing OEM interest in F1

Like the World Endurance Championship (WEC), Formula 1 seems to be enjoying a resurgence of OEM involvement in the sport, with six manufacturers registering interest in supplying powertrains for the 2026 season: Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, Honda, Audi (which will replace Alfa Romeo as Sauber’s technical partner), and now Ford as the latest entry, together with Red Bull.

The reason for this growing interest is the step that Formula 1 is taking toward sustainability in 2026. The power units will remain 1 000 hp V6 hybrids, but the electric part will now supply up to 50% of the total power, with the combustion engine running on sustainable e-fuels.

Another reason for the increased appeal in F1 involvement is the cost cap, which was introduced in 2021, and limits F1 team spending to about 140 million US dollars per season. That means that F1 is no longer the bottomless pit in terms of spending that it used to be, especially for the top teams. It makes the sport more appealing business-wise and should bring the field closer together in terms of competitiveness.

However, with Ford embracing both Red Bull teams as a powertrain supplier, the question remains whether Honda will continue in the sport after 2026 when its deal with Red Bull ends.

With five other OEMs to compete with overpower unit customers and only ten teams on the grid, pickings are limited – unless Andretti-Cadillac does manage to enter the sport in 2026, and chooses a Honda powertrain.