The story behind the Red Bull and Ford deal in Formula 1

The story of Ford’s return to Components 1, from Crimson Bull’s viewpoint, is well-known by now.

The Milton Keynes-based staff held prolonged talks with Porsche to develop a works engine for the all-new 2026 energy unit laws, however these in the end collapsed. The German sports activities automotive model was eager on changing into an equal accomplice, together with shares, however Crimson Bull feared dropping management. And given the involvement of the Volkswagen Group – and its myriad layers of governance – Crimson Bull was additionally cautious of dropping its agile choice making.

Ford noticed the breakdown of Crimson Bull’s negotiations with Porsche with eager curiosity and instantly noticed a possibility. “It turned very clear that, not less than from what we noticed from the skin, that it was not going to work for Crimson Bull with Porsche”, Ford Motorsports director Mark Rushbrook instructed Motorsport.com. “I actually obtained Christian Horner’s electronic mail tackle, despatched him an electronic mail and mentioned ‘Hello, do you wish to speak?’”

It led to the primary conversations, about which Horner shared an amusing anecdote: “We went to a gathering at Dearborn on the way in which to Brazil, and met with your self, Invoice Ford and Jim [Farley]. I assumed we had been in good condition when Jim walked into the assembly with a Sergio Perez cap! I assumed ‘Okay, we’re wanting fairly good right here!’ You would simply really feel that there was an actual enthusiasm from the very high of the corporate, from Invoice Ford, who was so keen about coming again to Components 1, and Jim, who’s a racer himself.”

Issues began shifting shortly, though the query stays why Ford particularly selected Crimson Bull for its new chapter in Components 1. Ford has a wealthy historical past within the collection, together with the once-omnipresent Cosworth DFV engines, though it had been absent since late 2004 when it offered the Jaguar staff to none apart from Crimson Bull.

The rising reputation of the game and the 2026 laws each performed their half swaying opinions on the Michigan headquarters. “If you happen to would have requested me 5 years in the past, and truly folks did ask me, ‘Is Ford going to get again into Components 1?’ then my reply was no. On the time we didn’t suppose that F1 was the best place for us, however actually issues have modified afterwards”, Rushbrook mentioned.

“If you happen to see how the laws are written down for 2026 with the rise of the electrification, with the gasoline modifications and with the dedication to be net-zero by 2030, that aligns with a number of our values and what’s necessary for us. The expansion of the game performs a job as nicely. We go racing for innovation and for tech switch, so transferring expertise from the racetrack to the street and, if doable, the opposite manner round as nicely. We additionally wish to go racing for the power to inform the story of our firm, our folks and our merchandise. Three years in the past, it turned clear that issues had been altering and that we would have liked to take a critical take a look at Components 1 once more. And right here we’re.”

Ford thought-about shopping for its personal staff

However between the ambition of returning to F1 and truly signing a deal, there may be nonetheless the step of weighing up all of the choices. Rushbrook revealed that Ford additionally checked out different choices as soon as it was clear that the corporate needed to return to F1, together with the opportunity of shopping for an current staff.

“Earlier than we had this take care of Crimson Bull, there have been a number of discussions occurring,” he defined. “Some Components 1 groups approached us, and we approached some groups as nicely. We would have liked to grasp the panorama and the other ways to get into the game.

“We even checked out ‘Okay, ought to we purchase a staff ourselves?’ I feel we demonstrated by what this staff has change into, what was Jackie Stewart Racing and Jaguar, that this isn’t our core competency, proper? Sure, we’re in motorsports, however nowhere will we personal or run a staff. We all the time go together with companions, whether or not it is Dick Johnson racing in Australia, Penske in NASCAR, Bob Tasca in NHRA or M-Sport in rally.

“You may go and do your personal energy unit solely by your self or you can are available as only a buyer energy unit, however then Ford doesn’t have something invested right into a staff itself. As quickly as we noticed this as a possibility, it turned clear in a short time that it was the best option to go. This chance permits us to accomplice with what we imagine is one of the best staff within the collection. We’re complementary, and for us that’s the proper option to do it.”

What’s Ford truly contributing?

The large query in these early conversations was what Ford might truly convey to the Crimson Bull programme apart from a badge and its chequebook, and the way the ability unit programme can be run between the 2 companions, with work already nicely beneath manner on the staff’s in-house Crimson Bull Powertrains division.

My first query to Christian was ‘What are you in search of in a accomplice?’ and I used to be ready to say what we had been in search of in a accomplice. Within the first 20 minutes of that dialogue there was a really broad alignment,” Rushbrook recalled. “In that first assembly we additionally outlined the areas the place Red Bull Racing wanted assist with the ability unit and with the racing staff, and the areas the place we needed to contribute and study. That course of continues immediately, though the checklist is longer immediately than throughout these preliminary discussions.”

After the primary assembly, the thought was that Ford would primarily assist with {the electrical} elements of the 2026 engine, though Rushbrook emphasizes that extra is occurring behind the scenes. “Additive manufacturing is an effective instance of that. We have now good assets and supplies for it. That wasn’t on the preliminary checklist, however it’s occurring now. The identical goes for contributing to the interior combustion engine and the turbo. These issues weren’t on the preliminary checklist both, however there may be a number of data that we have now with modelling and testing that may assist Crimson Bull.”

In accordance with Rushbrook, it underlines that Ford is not simply in it for the advertising and marketing publicity but additionally for the aforementioned tech switch to its street automobiles. “Our foremost focus is on the electrification, the battery cell chemistry, the battery pack, the motor, the inverter, but additionally within the controls and the software program. That could be a huge alternative for us.”

It is a manner of working that’s fully totally different in comparison with what Crimson Bull initially mentioned with Porsche, Horner identified. “From the outset Mark and Jim Farley mentioned ‘You guys do Components 1 day by day. That is your bread and butter. We’re not going to impose our methodology on you. You inform us, how can we assist? The place can we help?’ It was very a lot an open e-book. It appears like a partnership that you just’re not imposing on the engineers, which typically occurs in these relationships, and what we had been petrified of within the different choice we had been taking a look at.”

The spirit of Mateschitz: ‘No threat, no enjoyable’

How aggressive the top product of that collaboration might be in 2026 continues to be unknown, though Horner admitted that he was beneath no phantasm that the primary yr might be plain crusing. However he additionally sees a bonus for Ford, because the model won’t get publicly judged too harshly as a result of within the present set-up it would not have full accountability over the engine. “It is a bit like being grandparents”, Horner joked. “You get all the advantages of the child and all of the upsides, however then you definately give it again to the mother and father and you do not have the sleepless nights and also you don’t have to vary the nappies, so there’s a form of analogy there.

“For us it is simply thrilling to have the Blue Oval again in Components 1. After all, there’s threat related to what we’re doing. Taking over and doing what we’re doing is insane when it comes to the funding and producing our personal engine, however as Dietrich Mateschitz all the time instructed us: ‘No threat, no enjoyable’. That applies to this venture, and it is one thing we could not have achieved and not using a like-minded accomplice.”