US giants Ford deliver progress report with first Red Bull milestone reached

Ford performance director Mark Rushbrook spoke of very positive early signs working alongside Red Bull, stage one therefore ticked off as they target winning together in Formula 1.

The regulations are currently stable in Formula 1, but come 2026, the next overhaul is coming, which will focus on the power units as well as the chassis.

And the new PUs, designed to be cheaper, rely more on electrical power and utilise fully-sustainable fuels on the internal combustion side, have attracted various manufacturers to sign up to this new F1 era.

Ford and Red Bull Powertrains partnership going ‘very well’

Honda reversed their call to withdraw from Formula 1 and will switch allegiances to Aston Martin from 2026, Audi will enter as the Sauber-operated Stake F1 Team morphs into their works squad and Ford will return to the F1 scene in collaboration with Red Bull’s new engine division Red Bull Powertrains.

Time is ticking as the F1 regulatory reset approaches, and with Red Bull serving as the current dominant force of the series with Honda power, there is a great deal of pressure on the Austrian outfit and Ford to carry on those high standards into 2026 and beyond.

And it is a challenge which Red Bull and Ford intend to rise to, with Rushbrook confirming that winning is the aim for their partnership after making “a lot of progress over the last year”.

“With Red Bull the work is going very well, they are our partners and we are focused on winning,” he told Motorsport.com.

“We want to have the ability to win in motorsport and we hope to do that with the best possible partner.

“We’ve made a lot of progress over the last year, but there’s still a long way to go, with a lot of development to do to be ready to be on the grid in 2026.”

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Ford and Red Bull were no strangers to each other before this F1 union, Red Bull having actually bought out the Ford-operated Jaguar team to join the F1 grid in 2005, while they currently back Ford’s M-Sport team in the World Rally Championship.

And Rushbrook left the door open to the potential of new Ford partnerships being on the horizon.

Asked if there is anything new to share on the Ford-Red Bull collaboration, Rushbrook replied: “There is nothing to announce [laughs].

“They are a big company and they are in all different forms of motorsport, and we are their partner in Formula 1, as well as the WRC.

“But it’s true that we are in talks with many other partners, we will see.”

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be chasing a fourth World Championship in as many seasons when he returns to action for F1 2024, while Red Bull will be out for a seventh Constructors’ title.

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