Ford could compete in Formula 1 together with the energy drink giant from 2026.
Everything indicates that Red Bull is about to announce an agreement with a new partner for the premiere of the new engine regulations, which will come into force in 2026; and if the rumors are true, his new traveling companion will be Ford. In fact, some clues suggest that the association could go public this Friday in New York, where the Red Bull RB19 will be presented.
It’s no secret that Red Bull has been looking for a partner for the new regulations for the past year. After the breakdown of advanced negotiations with Porsche a few months ago, the energy drink team is believed to have sat down with Honda again, and has also explored other options.
Red Bull sets the conditions, as was seen after the breakdown of the talks with Porsche, since the current structure does not want to lose power over the future decisions of the team or have new shareholders on board.
One of the options that is being talked about is Ford, which could be about to return to Formula 1 as a partner of the current world champion from 2026, the date until which Red Bull will use the Red Bull Powertrains engine, based on Honda technology and how many successes it is helping you achieve.
The American manufacturer would have been interested in the premier class after seeing the enormous growth that the category is having in the United States, with greater attention from fans and up to three races in its territory.
The partnership between Red Bull and Ford could take a number of different forms. On the one hand, the Detroit manufacturer could give its name to the power unit developed by Red Bull Powertrains, in a purely sponsorship agreement that would benefit both parties, both for image and for economy.
It is also believed, according to what Motorsport.com publishes, that there is another option, which is collaboration in the development of the engine. Red Bull can build an internal combustion engine without major problems, because after all it has worked with them since 2014, but in order to manufacture the electrical part, which will have even more weight in 2026, there are more doubts.
In this sense, there is talk that Ford, which already competes with a hybrid engine in the World Rally Championship, contributes its experience in the development of the future power unit of the Austrian team.
It is believed that the announcement of the association between Ford and Red Bull could come as soon as this Friday, as there are several clues that could point to it. One of them is that the Red Bull RB19 is presented in New York (United States), Ford’s country of origin, and another that the brand would have even sent to people from its social media department.
Will the rumor be true even if the agreement sounds a bit hasty? We will leave doubts when the new Red Bull F1 is unveiled, next Friday at 5:00 p.m.