Oracle Red Bull Racing made two major announcements in New York City on Thursday and Friday, a sign of Formula 1’s growth in the United States.
Red Bull, which is run by team principal Christian Horner, will welcome Ford into the organization in 2026. The blue oval will partner with Red Bull on the engine side of the racecar, teaming with Red Bull Powertrains, ahead of Formula 1's new engine package.
"Ford is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford's long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world's most visible stages,” Ford executive chair Bill Ford said.
The highly anticipated partnership will mark Ford’s return to Formula 1 after it sold its Jaguar team to Red Bull in 2004. It’s also symbolic as General Motors GM attempts to join Ford as a second American manufacturer to enter Formula 1. GM is partnering with Andretti Global, led by Michael Andretti, to be part of Formula 1’s expansion program.
Ford was initially in Formula 1 in the 1960s, winning 155 races with another British team, Cosworth.
“There are few manufacturers who have such a celebrated motor sport history as Ford, so to see them coming back to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship is excellent news,” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.
Among the announcements in New York is also Red Bull’s new car design, the RB19, for 2023. The car launch makes Red Bull the only Formula 1 team to do so in the United States.
Red Bull also announced it is partnering with Rokt, an ecommerce firm, which will enhance the team’s dedication to diversity.
“Rokt and Oracle Red Bull Racing are both innovative, disruptive, mission-driven companies focused on our commitment to diversity, sustainability and being a force for good in our communities,” Rokt CEO Bruce Buchanan said. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Oracle Red Bull Racing team and align on our mission to unleash possibility, develop the careers of talented female ethletes and empower women in sports, engineering, ecommerce and other fields across the globe.”
The partnership with Rokt will include a search for female eracers for the the Oracle Red Bull Racing Esports Team. The program will enable more women to enter the gaming space, the team said in a press release.
Red Bull is coming off a dominant season in which Max Verstappen won 15 of 23 races en route to the championship. Sergio Perez also won two contests for Red Bull, and the team also named Daniel Ricciardo as its reserve driver for the 2023 season.
