Ford’s Surprise Email to Red Bull Triggered Formula 1 Return
In a surprising revelation, Ford has disclosed that its return to Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing was initiated by an unexpected email sent to team principal Christian Horner. The move came after Red Bull’s talks with Porsche collapsed in the summer of 2022, coinciding with Ford’s exploration of a potential F1 entry.
Ford’s global motorsports director, Mark Rushbrook, shared the remarkable story of how the partnership came to be during a visit to Red Bull’s Milton Keynes factory. “We were on that journey of: Formula 1 is the right place to be, but it was how were we going to enter?” Rushbrook explained. “We were talking to different teams. We were thinking about doing our own power unit programme, independently.”
Rushbrook decided to reach out to Horner directly, sending him an email to gauge interest in a potential partnership. The response was positive, and Rushbrook soon found himself on a plane to the UK for a meeting that would change the course of Ford’s F1 involvement.
“I got on a plane to come here, and I felt maybe 20 minutes into that discussion – okay, there’s the foundation for a partnership here that’s going to work,” Rushbrook recalled. “And I left that meeting and called Jim Farley [Ford CEO] and then it accelerated quickly from there.”
Horner echoed Rushbrook’s sentiments, highlighting the importance of manufacturer involvement in F1. “We went through a process of it would be far better strategically for us to partner with an OEM, because as an independent manufacturer, you miss out on the advantages that Ferrari or Mercedes or Honda, who changed their mind, technically have,” Horner said.
The partnership was solidified during a meeting at Ford’s Dearborn headquarters, where Horner was greeted by Ford CEO Jim Farley, sporting a Sergio Perez cap. The enthusiasm from the top of the company was palpable, and the deal was concluded in a remarkable 12 weeks.
Rushbrook believes that Ford’s approach to F1, partnering with a team rather than running its own, aligns better with its other motorsport activities. “We looked at: should we buy a team? I think we demonstrated, by what this team [Red Bull] has become from what used to be Jackie Stewart and Jaguar, that’s not our core competency, right?”
The Red Bull Ford partnership is now in full swing, with the two entities working together to drive the 2026 engine project forward. Horner predicts that this model could set a blueprint for other manufacturers to follow in the future, allowing them to enter F1 without taking on the full responsibility and liability of an engine facility or team ownership.
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