Ford CEO Jim Farley is adamant the American brand will go “to the top of the podium” in Formula 1 when it hits the track in 2026 in partnership with Red Bull’s Powertrains division.
The Milton-Keynes-based Red Bull outfit is producing its own power unit in 2026 when the overhauled regulations will come into effect.
The new regs will see an increased reliance on electric components, culminating in a 50/50 power split between electrification and ICE (Internal Combustion Engine).
To aid Red Bull on the electrical side of things, it has entered a technical partnership with Ford, which was announced at last year’s Red Bull RB19 car launch and Farley believes the partnership is on track for success.
“I had a chance to spend a lot of time with the team in Milton Keynes, and with Adrian Newey, and I think we’re on track,” Farley said via Autosport on stage in Charlotte.
“2026, even though it sounds like a long way away, we have a lot of work to do on the powertrain, but I’m really happy with the progress.
“I wish I could tell you more, but I would say we’re on track.”
Farley is also excited about the road-going relevance the new engine regulations coming to F1 in 2026 will have, with the information learned on the track being applied to the road.
The Ford CEO went on to claim that the transfer of tech from race to road will reach heights in F1 that it hasn’t done so since the 1970s, when Ford-badged Cosworth DFV engines helped power drivers to multiple world titles.
“We’re going back to F1 in a way that we haven’t in the past,” Farley added.
“It turns out that the best aerodynamics in the world are in Formula 1, the best telemetry, the best digital diagnostics.
“And, actually, we need all those things for electric cars. So it’s actually going back to the 1970s with a pure tech transfer.
“We can get telemetry, digital diagnosis, as well as aero, which we can put in our production, electric cars to make the battery smaller.”
“They [F1] are the best in the world in a lot of these technologies, and we need them desperately as the car business changes.
“It’s literally like going back to where we were all those years ago: tech transfer.”
Ford’s last major foray into Formula 1 came with ownership of Jaguar Racing, a well-funded but improperly managed effort that yielded little success.
Between 2000 and 2004 the British-based squad achieved only two podiums across 85 grand prix entries before being sold to Red Bull for £1 ahead of the 2005 season.
However, Farley states that Ford’s return will operate in an entirely different manner given the American marque’s role as a technical partner, with the importance of learning information to apply to its road cars not to be understated.
“This is not like owning our team,” he explained. “We’re going there to literally transfer technology.
“We can offer battery tech for them, because in ‘26, they’re going to go to like 50% electric, and they need high discharge batteries. We do that in NHRA, for example.”
Farely’s enthusiasm toward the Red Bull F1 project shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the American marque is joining forces with the current pacesetters in the sport.
Many expect Red Bull to remain the dominant team through the 2025 season when the current set of regulations comes to an end.
That leaves question marks lingering over the 2026 project, with Red Bull committing to an F1 powertrains project for the first time in the company’s motor racing history.
Red Bull, like fellow 2026 PU (Power Unit) newcomers Audi, will have to compete with the far more experienced PU providers of Mercedes, Ferrari, and Renault.
But Farley is confident that success can be achieved from the get-go in 2026, given Red Bull’s recent success.
“We have got the best frickin’ team that’s involved,” he highlighted. “I mean, we’ve got the best drivers, we’ve got the best technical support.
“We have the best of Ford around the globe to support them.
“But the team, the powertrain team that they’re building in Milton Keynes, is like absolutely, top-notch. We’re going first class to the very top of the podium.”
