The Red Bull team have just made a monumental decision that has sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 world. After a successful partnership with Honda since 2018, Red Bull have announced that they have entered into a technical partnership with Ford for the 2026 season and beyond.
Team Principal Christian Horner had nothing but praise for Honda, calling them an “incredible company”. He explained that the decision to move to Ford was made to take control of their own future. The new partnership with Ford will see them develop a next-gen power unit to supply Red Bull Racing and their sister team AlphaTauri from 2026 until at least 2030.
Horner explained the benefits of this new partnership for his Red Bull team. “This is a purely commercial and technical deal, so there is no exchange of any shares or participation within the business,” he said. “It’s a very straightforward agreement where we will have the ability to share and have access to R&D, particularly on the EV side and self-technology, software development and so on.”
Ford’s return to the sport was announced on Friday, almost 20 years on from their last participation in Formula 1. Red Bull also launched their 2023 car, the RB19, in New York on Friday. However, Horner admitted that the car on display will look “different” to the one that will be seen at pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Red Bull and Ford’s partnership is a huge step forward for the team and the sport. With the new power unit and car, the team are sure to be a major force to be reckoned with in the 2026 season.
Source: www.formula1.com