Red Bull F1: Ford return ends 22-year absence as boss declares 'unfinished business'

Red Bull

Red Bull return ends 22-year absence as boss declares 'unfinished business' in F1

Red Bull welcomed an old face back to F1

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 18 January 2026 08:21

Red Bull's F1 partnership with Ford has ended a 22-year absence for the American manufacturer in the sport and their boss Will Ford has declared they have 'unfinished business'.

Ford Racing and Red Bull unveiled their 2026 challenger at the Central Michigan train station in Detroit on Thursday night, launching a new era for the team as power unit manufacturers in F1.

The American automotive giants last raced in F1 in 2004 under the guise of Jaguar before the team was sold to Red Bull, finishing seventh in the championship in their final season.

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Now, the Ford name returns to a team with eight drivers' titles, six constructors' and the expertise of Max Verstappen leading them into their next chapter, and Ford's pride in the new project is palpable.

Will Ford: We have unfinished business in F1

General manger of Ford Racing, and great-great grandson of founder Henry Ford, Will Ford reflected on Red Bull's launch in Detroit and the pride he felt seeing the name restored to the global motorsport stage.

"One hundred and twenty-five years ago, my great-great-grandfather, Henry Ford, stepped into a car he called "Sweepstakes." He wasn’t a professional racer, and he wasn’t a favourite to win," he wrote on the Ford website.

"He was a man with his back against the wall. That October day in 1901, his victory on the Grosse Pointe dirt track didn’t just win him a trophy — it secured the investment that allowed Ford Motor Company to exist.

"At Ford, we weren't just inspired by racing. We were born from it. That is why the air at Ford Racing feels different right now. After a 22-year absence, we are returning to the pinnacle of motorsport. Twenty-two years is too long. As we prepare for the Australian Grand Prix in March 2026, we are returning to our identity.

"When I first saw the new liveries for Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, I didn’t see a marketing asset. I saw my family’s name back on a global stage where we have unfinished business."

Ford then concluded his motivational message with: "We at Ford aren't only in F1 to collect trophies. We are there to engineer more capable Ford vehicles.

"I’ve felt the electricity in our hallways. Our employees aren't spectators — they are part of this mission. They know that when those cars take to the grid in Melbourne, they carry the legacy of 1901 and the future of our company.

"We are optimistic, but we aren't naive. The competition is fierce, and we respect the challenge. In racing, you win and lose with equal grace, but you never stop pushing."

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