Rumor: Ford set to announce F1 return with Red Bull (6th Update)

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and double world champion Max Verstappen, plus team-mate Sergio Perez, have arrived in Manhattan in anticipation of the announcement.

Ford chief executive Jim Farley and F1 boss Stefano Domenicali will also attend.

Red Bull established their Powertrains division in Milton Keynes to address Honda’s ‘withdrawal’ from Formula One in 2021. The intention is to be self-sufficient in a few years’ time. Nonetheless, Honda are still due to supply the team with engines until the end of 2025.

Jim Farley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ford

February 2, 2023 

This rumor is upgraded to ‘fact’ today.

Ford will join forces with the Red Bull team from 2026, badging the engine Red Bull are designing for the new regulations to be introduced that year.

The agreement was leaked via the Italian media on Thursday by mistake, but it is understood to be correct.

Ford sent the information to news agency Ansa. It was published in error because it was not marked embargoed, before being withdrawn shortly afterward.

Rendering – not real. © 2023 Sean Bull Design // @seanbulldesign

The agreement is expected to be officially unveiled at Red Bull’s 2023 season launch in New York on Friday that the two Red Bull teams, Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri, will run engines branded as Fords in a deal that involves the US manufacturer offering funding and technical input in return for naming rights.

Red Bull, who will continue to use Honda engines in Formula 1 through 2025, declined to comment on the deal.

It will be Ford’s first factory involvement in F1 since 2004, after which they pulled out following the sale of their Jaguar team to Red Bull.

The move comes as Ford’s historic US market rival General Motors is attempting also to enter F1 with the American Andretti Global organization.

Christian Klien of Austria and Ford/Jaguar in action during the practice session prior to qualifying for the United States F1 Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Circuit on June 19, 2004, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

January 30, 2023 

(GMM) Ford appears to have opened the door to a potentially-imminent future in Formula 1.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem admitted last week that a new manufacturer could make an announcement within days.

How Ben Sulayem knows – President of the FIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports Mark Rushbrook seen at the WRC launch at the Hangar 7 in Salzburg, Austria on January 15, 2022. // Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool

That tied in with speculation that Red Bull and Alpha Tauri chose New York City as the scene of their February 3 launch not because of Fashion Week, but because it lined up with the Ford rumors.

According to those rumors, Red Bull Powertrains would pair up with Ford for a works collaboration over the new engine regulations from 2026.

The Ford Motor Company is sending social media influencers to New York on the same dates Red Bull will be in the US city for their season launch event, amid speculation that the two huge brands are set to link up.

“We do not comment on speculation,” Ford’s global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, is quoted by the Cologne tabloid Express.

“But that is the case with all series. It is our responsibility to study and understand them, and then decide whether it makes sense or not.”

When asked specifically about Formula 1, the Ford executive added: “Formula 1 is strong and growing, both in the United States and worldwide.

“They have great races, great competition and they’ve managed to reach new audiences with things like Drive to Survive.”

Rushbrook was even asked about the tantalizing prospect of a forthcoming American battle in Formula 1 between Ford and another prospective 2026 entry – General Motors and Cadillac.

“It will be interesting to see how things develop and whether they will be successful as the eleventh team,” he said, referring to the Andretti-Cadillac bid.

He also admitted that Formula 1’s push to more sustainable fuels is attractive.

“We want to be sustainable in what we do as a company,” said Rushbrook, “not just by making electric cars but in every way possible.

“We support all series switching to more sustainable fuel.”

Ford and Red Bull have been in talks and that a deal is expected, though pen is yet to be put to paper. All signs point to the official announcement of their partnership being made at the season launch event on Friday, February 3.

It is not yet clear exactly how extensive the partnership will be. Ford are not believed to have signed up for the 2026 power unit regulations, while Red Bull have put extensive resource into building their own powertrains division and have a pre-existing relationship with Honda. Those factors suggest Ford may not come in as an engine design partner, though it remains to be seen if that will be the case. It is expected they will pay Red Bull to ‘badge’ their engine as Ford in 2026.


January 27, 2023 

Talking to reporters at Daytona for the Rolex 24 this weekend, Ford Performance global motorsports director Mark Rushbrook said, “Formula 1 is certainly strong and growing, both in the United States and globally.

“What they have done well is create great racing and great competition. It’s still the pinnacle, but they’ve been able to reach new audiences with things like Drive to Survive.

“As a company we go racing for innovation, tech transfer, the learning opportunity, but also for marketing reasons as well. It’s shifted for sure, and it definitely requires consideration.”

“We don’t comment on speculation, but it’s the same with all these series that are out there.

“It’s our responsibility to study them and understand them, and then make decisions on whether it makes sense or doesn’t make sense.”

“Sustainable fuel definitely is something we’re interested in, but we’re already doing that in other series,” he told Autosport.

Mark Rushbrook

“The WRC has it, starting last year, and that’s been a great part of the story and learning for us.

“The vehicles we sell, some regions are shifting to full electric faster than others, some will stay ICE for longer.

“But we want to be sustainable in what we do as a company, not just producing electric cars but also being more sustainable with ICE. We support all series, whether we participate or not, switching to more sustainable fuel.”


December 16, 2022 

(GMM) Ford is not denying speculation that it may re-enter Formula 1.

The FIA has now published the 2023 entry list, and it shows that Red Bull will be powered by ‘Honda RBPT’ (Red Bull Powertrains) engines next year.

It is yet another sign that Honda is backtracking on its decision to pull out of Formula 1 at the end of 2021 – even if it is rumored that Red Bull does not intend to pair with the Japanese carmaker in 2026.

Indeed, the stronger rumor is that Red Bull is only seeking a commercial arrangement and technical support, with Ford at the top of the list.

In a statement provided to Sport Business Journal, the American multinational said: “We do not comment on speculative stories.”

Another rumor is that Honda might cement its place in Formula 1 by negotiating to buy Red Bull’s second team, Alpha Tauri.

And yet another rumor is connecting Renault-owned Alpine with a F1 collaboration with Lotus, which is owned by the Chinese carmaker Geely.


December 15, 2022 

With Porsche’s venture into Formula 1 with Red Bull cancelled, it’s been rumored that several other automakers are interested in badging the Red Bull developed 2026 engine.

Ford has apparently entered the chat, looking to ride F1’s surge in popularity worldwide, reports Motorsport.com.

Citing unnamed sources, the report claims that a partnership with Red Bull could be one avenue for the Blue Oval to return to the pinnacle of motorsport. Reportedly, there’s little to no desire for Ford to fund a full works team at the moment or in the near future. Therefore, a “badging exercise” with some engineering and technical assistance to Red Bull—along with a hefty check, of course—could be just what the Dearborn automaker is looking for.

It certainly is what Red Bull is looking for.

The report cites a comment from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner earlier this year, where he openly expresses the team’s desire to find a “like-minded partner.”

“We are fully focused on a Red Bull power unit, and if there was a like-minded partner that could contribute something to the project, then of course you would have to absolutely consider that. But it’s not a prerequisite,” said Horner, according to Motorsport.com “We will be the only team other than Ferrari to have engine and chassis all on one campus under one roof.”

It’s believed that partnering with someone like Ford would guarantee the team a lot more freedoms—freedoms that Porsche did not allow. It’s reported that the German automaker wanted greater control of the operations than Red Bull was willing to give, including an ownership stake in the team.

Of course, this remains merely a rumor, given the fact that neither Red Bull nor Ford have publicly mentioned each other’s names, let alone made a statement on the matter.

To this day Ford are 3rd in the all time engine manufacturer GP wins list with 176 GP wins largely when they badged the Cosworth engine in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ferrari are top of the pile with 243 and Mercedes second having scored 211 GP race victories. Renault have 189 wins with Honda in 5th place on 89.


November 5, 2022 

With Audi and Porsche coming into F1 in 2026, and Honda on the cusp of staying, it appears F1’s exploding popularity under Liberty Media’s direction has caught the eye of two more OEMs.

Rumor has it that Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has already met with Hyundai representatives about becoming an engine supplier in F1.

The Koreans, who are already successfully competing in the World Rally Championship and the World Touring Car Cup, are said to have been considering a Formula 1 commitment for some time.

Ford is also said to have expressed an interest. The Formula 1 boom in the USA has not gone unnoticed in the Detroit control center.  However, we doubt Ford is up to the challenge of F1, nor would their bean counters endorse it.

It’s all about the TV Ratings Stupid

While IndyCar has not been able to land a 3rd engine supplier despite trying for over 10 years, F1 has them knocking down the doors.

Why?

Because 75 million people watch every F1 race on TV globally, while IndyCar averages maybe 1 million, depending on whose numbers you believe, with their season grand finale only getting a pathetic 1/2 million on linear TV.

 

 

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