AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear

Ford and Red Bull: The Road to 2026 Dominance Begins

David Castro by David Castro
February 2, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0
Ford and Red Bull: The Road to 2026 Dominance Begins

One year ago, Red Bull Racing shook up the Formula 1 world by announcing an unexpected partnership with Ford, leaving behind its initial plans with Porsche and extending its Honda-powered dominance until the end of 2025. Now, with the 2026 season fast approaching, the American automaker is making it clear: they’re not coming to F1 just to participate—they’re coming to win.

In a newly released video, Making History | Red Bull Powertrains, Ford’s top engineers and Red Bull Racing leadership lay out the monumental challenge ahead—and just how serious the company is about returning to F1 glory.

“It’s a Sprint, Not a Marathon” – Ford’s F1 Ambition

Ford Performance Global Director Mark Rushbrook didn’t sugarcoat the task ahead.

“Formula 1, it’s the ultimate challenge. It’s not a marathon; it’s a sprint race. Whenever you take on a big project, there are the early days, the excitement, and then when you get into it, there are moments of, ‘What have we gotten ourselves into?’”

This high-stakes mentality has been echoed throughout Red Bull and Ford’s combined effort, with team principal Christian Horner admitting the challenge of coming in as a new power unit supplier is monumental.

“It’s the fear of failure that drives us all in Formula 1. We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge of coming in as a new power unit manufacturer. This is the biggest change that Formula 1 has had, I think, probably in 70 years, where chassis and engine have all changed at the same time.”

Despite the daunting obstacles, Horner believes Ford is the perfect partner for Red Bull Powertrains.

“Bringing the electrical world and the combustion world together—what better partner than Ford to help us in that journey? To see that famous Ford logo coming back into Formula 1, emblazoned on our cars—it will be a big moment of pride, I think, for everyone in the organization.”

Hybrid Era Revolution: Why 2026 Is Different

Formula 1’s 2026 regulations will bring a major shift in power unit design, placing greater emphasis on electrification than ever before.

Jake Powers, Powertrain Electrification Supervisor, explains the key technical challenge:

“We’re in a race to 2026—it is very close. For a race car to work in F1, it has to be light; it has to be fast. In 2026, the battery becomes more important—it’s generating and producing 350 kW, so you get more power out of the battery, and you still have to make it light.”

This new hybrid revolution will put Ford’s expertise in electric and combustion technology to the test, as they work with Red Bull to build a power unit capable of dethroning Ferrari and Mercedes.

The Pressure Cooker: Engineering at Red Bull’s Speed

One of the biggest shocks for Ford engineers stepping into Red Bull’s world is the insane pace of development.

Christian Hertrich, Powertrain Engineering Manager, described the cutthroat nature of designing an F1 power unit:

“Everything is aerospace level; you’re treating each part like life or death. In motorsports, we think of timelines in months to a year. In the Red Bull world, we’re talking hours to days.”

He added that 3D-printed, additive manufacturing techniques are pushing engineering to new frontiers:

“A lot of our responsibility has become the manufacturing of additively produced parts. They’re very complicated—the geometry is very complicated. We make estimates for how long it’s going to take to deliver something, but you hit challenges that you don’t expect, and you have to react.”

Even test engineers like Colton Lorenz are feeling the intensity, especially when running early versions of the 2026 power unit.

“This was the first time they had run the turbo, so when we finally installed it on our test bench, there was a little bit of nervousness. Are the clearances internally okay? Is the bearing system right? Is the oil system working?”

Ford’s Legendary F1 History – Can They Add Another Chapter?

While Ford is new to F1’s hybrid era, the manufacturer has a storied history in the sport.

👉 10 F1 World Championships powered by Ford
👉 176 Grand Prix wins (third all-time, behind Ferrari & Mercedes)
👉 Legendary DFV engine, which dominated in the 1970s & 80s

Now, with Max Verstappen leading the charge, Ford is already integrating its branding into Red Bull’s global marketing efforts. The Dutchman was recently seen driving a Ford Mustang in promotional content, and this is just the beginning of the Ford-Verstappen era.

The Verdict: Can Ford and Red Bull Deliver?

The Red Bull-Ford partnership is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious engineering undertakings in modern F1.

🔹 Pros: Red Bull’s engineering genius, Ford’s hybrid expertise, Verstappen’s dominance
🔹 Cons: Inexperience with modern F1 power units, Mercedes & Ferrari’s decades of development advantage

As 2026 looms, Red Bull is gambling big that their in-house powertrain project, backed by Ford’s innovation, will keep them at the front of the grid.

🚀 Will the Red Bull-Ford partnership rewrite F1 history, or will they struggle against the giants of Ferrari and Mercedes?

Share212Tweet133Send

Related Posts

F1 Teams Unleash High-Downforce Fury: Aston Martin and Red Bull Rev Up for Hungarian GP
Motorsports

F1 Teams Unleash High-Downforce Fury: Aston Martin and Red Bull Rev Up for Hungarian GP

Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 26, 2025 Aston Martin's Lance...

by Harry Bright
August 1, 2025
Red Bull Unleashes Game-Changing Upgrades at F1 Hungarian GP – Rivals Left Trembling
Motorsports

Red Bull Unleashes Game-Changing Upgrades at F1 Hungarian GP – Rivals Left Trembling

Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

by Miguel Cunha
August 1, 2025
Fernando Alonso’s Shocking FP1 Absence Sparks Aston Martin F1 Drama
Motorsports

Fernando Alonso’s Shocking FP1 Absence Sparks Aston Martin F1 Drama

Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 25, 2025 Aston Martin's Fernando...

by Publisher
August 1, 2025
F1 2025 Hungarian GP: Explosive Drama Unfolds in Intense Free Practice 1 Showdown
Motorsports

F1 2025 Hungarian GP: Explosive Drama Unfolds in Intense Free Practice 1 Showdown

Formula 1 fans, buckle up for a wild ride as we dive into the heart of the action at the...

by Harry Bright
August 1, 2025

Recent News

VW alcança marco histórico de 180 milhões de automóveis produzidos

TWENTY: VW is responsible for temperature-sensitive emissions ‘software’.

August 1, 2025
F1 Teams Unleash High-Downforce Fury: Aston Martin and Red Bull Rev Up for Hungarian GP

F1 Teams Unleash High-Downforce Fury: Aston Martin and Red Bull Rev Up for Hungarian GP

August 1, 2025
Red Bull Unleashes Game-Changing Upgrades at F1 Hungarian GP – Rivals Left Trembling

Red Bull Unleashes Game-Changing Upgrades at F1 Hungarian GP – Rivals Left Trembling

August 1, 2025
Fernando Alonso’s Shocking FP1 Absence Sparks Aston Martin F1 Drama

Fernando Alonso’s Shocking FP1 Absence Sparks Aston Martin F1 Drama

August 1, 2025

Newsletter

  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TECHNICAL INFORMATION
  • EDITORIAL STATUS
  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

Enable Notifications OK No thanks