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Ford partnered with the Red Bull Racing F1 team’s engine-development wing, Red Bull Powertrains, to develop 2026 power units for the team’s car. But with V8 engines set to make a comeback in the sport by 2030-2031, Ford’s future in the premier class of motorsport seemed hazy, given its strong inclination toward electrification.
Ford had reportedly decided to end production of vehicles that run only on internal combustion engines. But considering the dwindling global demand for EVs, the brand has modified its approach to continue producing internal combustion and hybrid vehicles. This has likely aligned it to F1’s roadmap of bringing back screaming V8 engines, as announced by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
F1 has also been flexible enough to change policies according to fan preferences, as it recently updated its regulations to move away from the 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power to a ratio that will lean more toward internal combustion from 2027.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 03: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford leads Liam Lawson of New Zealand driving the (30) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 03 RB Ford on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202605030254 // Usage for editorial use only //
Notably, Ben Sulayem confirmed that F1’s V8 engine will be a hybrid power unit, hinting at a ten-to-twenty percent electrification, a point that has attracted keen interest from Ford, suggesting that it is here to stay in F1. Speaking in an interview with Autosport, Ford Performance director Mark Rushbrook said on the matter:
“For the future, the next set of regulations, I think the sport has taken the right approach to engage the stakeholders of what’s important and what’s at play. Everything that we’ve been part of, what we see in here, is encouraging to us.
“The dialogue is happening and we believe the right decisions will be made. And none of that will change our commitment to be here.”
Rushbrook added that with the advent of electrification, Ford has been able to master the electric and hybrid vehicle technology that would come in handy in the world of F1. He explained:
“It would [appeal to us]. What we’ve seen in the way that Ford approaches our vehicles, especially in recent years as the standards and requirements for passenger cars have become much more regional, is that we have full combustion engines, hybrids of different architectures, different balance of ICE versus electric, and full electric.
“We need to be prepared to offer those in different markets around the world, so we have a full library of that.”
With Ford being familiar with the development of V8 engines on its road cars, the idea of having them in F1 cars is highly appealing. Rushbrook added:
“That gives us a lot of different options as we go racing in different series, including Formula 1. We can still make the racing relevant to what we design, develop, sell to our customers. We love the V8 idea because we have a lot of V8s that we sell. We love an electrification element to it as well, because we have a lot of hybrid vehicles.
“And whether it’s 50-50, 60-40 or 90-10, we’re still going to be learning about that integration of combustion and electric. We’re very open to that, also to help with the racing on the track. And again, it wouldn’t change our approach or our commitment. We’re happy with the discussions for the future.”
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 01: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 01, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202605010146 // Usage for editorial use only //
Rushbrook revealed that Ford’s entry into F1 as a power unit supplier has been far more impactful than the brand initially anticipated.
While he did not comment on the future of Ford’s partnership with Red Bull, there seems to be no reason at present for either party to walk away from the collaboration, which is expected to last at least until 2030. Rushbrook added:
“We were happy with the rules that we have now and with making the adjustments. We’re still getting great value out of it. But like I said, we’ve got that ability with our portfolio of powertrains that we can make a lot of different things make sense for us.”
“We’ve enjoyed more of that than we ever envisioned when we started three and a half years ago, and we still benefit from that greatly.”
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Ford had reportedly decided to end production of vehicles that run only on internal combustion engines. But considering the dwindling global demand for EVs, the brand has modified its approach to continue producing internal combustion and hybrid vehicles. This has likely aligned it to F1’s roadmap of bringing back screaming V8 engines, as announced by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
F1 has also been flexible enough to change policies according to fan preferences, as it recently updated its regulations to move away from the 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power to a ratio that will lean more toward internal combustion from 2027.
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 03: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford leads Liam Lawson of New Zealand driving the (30) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 03 RB Ford on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202605030254 // Usage for editorial use only //
Notably, Ben Sulayem confirmed that F1’s V8 engine will be a hybrid power unit, hinting at a ten-to-twenty percent electrification, a point that has attracted keen interest from Ford, suggesting that it is here to stay in F1. Speaking in an interview with Autosport, Ford Performance director Mark Rushbrook said on the matter:
“For the future, the next set of regulations, I think the sport has taken the right approach to engage the stakeholders of what’s important and what’s at play. Everything that we’ve been part of, what we see in here, is encouraging to us.
“The dialogue is happening and we believe the right decisions will be made. And none of that will change our commitment to be here.”
Ford Loves the V8 Idea
Rushbrook added that with the advent of electrification, Ford has been able to master the electric and hybrid vehicle technology that would come in handy in the world of F1. He explained:
“It would [appeal to us]. What we’ve seen in the way that Ford approaches our vehicles, especially in recent years as the standards and requirements for passenger cars have become much more regional, is that we have full combustion engines, hybrids of different architectures, different balance of ICE versus electric, and full electric.
“We need to be prepared to offer those in different markets around the world, so we have a full library of that.”
With Ford being familiar with the development of V8 engines on its road cars, the idea of having them in F1 cars is highly appealing. Rushbrook added:
“That gives us a lot of different options as we go racing in different series, including Formula 1. We can still make the racing relevant to what we design, develop, sell to our customers. We love the V8 idea because we have a lot of V8s that we sell. We love an electrification element to it as well, because we have a lot of hybrid vehicles.
“And whether it’s 50-50, 60-40 or 90-10, we’re still going to be learning about that integration of combustion and electric. We’re very open to that, also to help with the racing on the track. And again, it wouldn’t change our approach or our commitment. We’re happy with the discussions for the future.”
What About the Red Bull Partnership?
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 01: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 01, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202605010146 // Usage for editorial use only //
Rushbrook revealed that Ford’s entry into F1 as a power unit supplier has been far more impactful than the brand initially anticipated.
While he did not comment on the future of Ford’s partnership with Red Bull, there seems to be no reason at present for either party to walk away from the collaboration, which is expected to last at least until 2030. Rushbrook added:
“We were happy with the rules that we have now and with making the adjustments. We’re still getting great value out of it. But like I said, we’ve got that ability with our portfolio of powertrains that we can make a lot of different things make sense for us.”
“We’ve enjoyed more of that than we ever envisioned when we started three and a half years ago, and we still benefit from that greatly.”
Continue reading...
