Ford will return to Formula One in 2026, when the sport enters a new engine era, the American automaker announced on Friday, ahead of Red Bull’s launch in New York.

Ford announces return to Formula One from 2026 season with Red Bull (Reuters)

By India Today Web Desk: Ford has confirmed their upcoming return to Formula One in 2026 through a “long-term strategic technical partnership” with Red Bull Powertrains, ahead of the sport’s new engine regulations taking effect.

Ford will collaborate with Red Bull Powertrains, a company founded to develop future engines for both Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri.

“This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather [Henry Ford] won a race that helped launch our company,” said Bill Ford, Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company.

“Ford, alongside world champions, Oracle Red Bull Racing, is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford’s long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible stages.”

Ford sold their Jaguar branded team to Red Bull in 2004 and the current champions are still based at the same factory in central England. The blue oval last appeared in Formula One with Jordan in 2004 but the company remains the sport’s third most successful engine manufacturer of all time.

Jim Farley, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company, commented: “Ford’s return to Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing is all about where we are going as a company – increasingly electric, software-defined, modern vehicles and experiences.

“F1 will be an incredibly cost-effective platform to innovate, share ideas and technologies, and engage with tens of millions of new customers.”

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner added: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership. As an independent engine manufacturer to have the ability to benefit from an OEM’s experience like Ford puts us in good stead against the competition.

“They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations. From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself. For us as Red Bull Powertrains to open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting.

Formula One will have a new power unit from 2026 using 100% sustainable fuels and a greater electrical component.

“Ford’s return to Formula One with Red Bull Racing is all about where we are going as a company — increasingly electric, software-defined, modern vehicles and experiences,” said Ford president and CEO Jim Farley.