Formula 1 might soon welcome a classic engine manufacturer to the family with Red Bull looking to team up with Ford before 2026


Formula 1 might soon welcome a classic engine manufacturer to the family with Red Bull looking to team up with Ford before 2026

While all eyes have been on Audi and their return to the F1 scene in the 2026 season, there seems to be another classic car manufacturing company that might be eyeing a potential entry into the pinnacle of motorsports. Ford–one of the oldest car companies in the world–has been reported to be in talks with Red Bull for an engine partnership. Christian Horner’s team, currently the World Champions of F1, has turned to making its own power unit after their deal with Honda ended.

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If Ford manages to see through a contract with Red Bull, it would mean Honda will exit F1 once and for all, even though they had shown some interest in manufacturing the next generation of engines once again for their previous client. With the explosive popularity of Formula 1 that has traveled across the pond to reach the Americas, thanks to several factors such as the Netflix series Drive to Survive and the three Grands Prix that the FIA have planned to take place on American soil next year–the Miami GP, the United States GP, and the Las Vegas GP–F1 is soon to become a household name in the US.

Ford possibly wants to capture the booming market that Formula 1 has made for itself by entering the sport as an engine sponsor. Red Bull has always had a rocky relationship with its engine manufacturers. During the tenure from 2010 to 2013, when the Austrian team and their star racer Sebastian Vettel were virtually unbeatable on the racetracks, Renault was their engine supplier. But that relationship fell through because of the non-competitiveness of the French company’s productions. And now, Red Bull is making use of Honda parts. In the future, a Ford partnership might be in the horizon for the team.

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To the surprise of all F1 fans, Red Bull’s negotiations with Porsche fell through

Red Bull
Red Bull

German car manufacturer Porsche had shown interest in becoming engine suppliers to Red Bull when Honda declared the termination of their deal with Christian Horner’s squad. While everything was going smoothly and it was said that Porsche will debut with the team in 2026, the deal fell through quite abruptly as Horner claimed they did not want Porsche’s engines because they lacked “the Red Bull DNA”.

Being the best team in Formula 1 as of now, it is quite surprising to see Red Bull struggle to find engine suppliers for their future campaigns in the highest league of motorsports. But if the Ford deal comes through, it will be a massive step for the American brand and Formula 1’s image in the entire motorsports scene in the US will get a hype, for sure. Now, it only remains to be seen if the team is able to make the deal into a reality to give a new face to the Red Bull dominance in F1.

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