Why Ford settled on Red Bull F1 deal – ‘We even looked at buying our own team’

The story of Ford’s return to Method 1, from Purple Bull’s viewpoint, is well-known by now.

The Milton Keynes-based workforce held prolonged talks with Porsche to develop a works engine for the all-new 2026 energy unit laws, however these in the end collapsed. The German sports activities automobile model was eager on changing into an equal companion, together with shares, however Purple Bull feared dropping management. And given the involvement of the Volkswagen Group – and its myriad layers of governance – Purple Bull was additionally cautious of dropping its agile choice making.

Ford noticed the breakdown of Purple Bull’s negotiations with Porsche with eager curiosity and instantly noticed a chance. “It turned very clear that, not less than from what we noticed from the surface, that it was not going to work for Purple Bull with Porsche”, Ford Motorsports director Mark Rushbrook instructed Motorsport.com. “I actually bought Christian Horner’s e-mail deal with, despatched him an e-mail and stated ‘Hello, do you wish to discuss?’”

It led to the primary conversations, about which Horner shared an amusing anecdote: “We went to a gathering at Dearborn on the way in which to Brazil, and met with your self, Invoice Ford and Jim [Farley]. I believed we have been in fine condition when Jim walked into the assembly with a Sergio Perez cap! I believed ‘Okay, we’re wanting fairly good right here!’ You possibly can simply really feel that there was an actual enthusiasm from the very high of the corporate, from Invoice Ford, who was so obsessed with coming again to Method 1, and Jim, who’s a racer himself.”

Issues began transferring shortly, though the query stays why Ford particularly selected Purple Bull for its new chapter in Method 1. Ford has a wealthy historical past within the collection, together with the once-omnipresent Cosworth DFV engines, though it had been absent since late 2004 when it offered the Jaguar workforce to none apart from Purple Bull.

The rising recognition of the game and the 2026 laws each performed their half swaying opinions on the Michigan headquarters. “In case you would have requested me 5 years in the past, and truly folks did ask me, ‘Is Ford going to get again into Method 1?’ then my reply was no. On the time we didn’t suppose that F1 was the precise place for us, however definitely issues have modified afterwards”, Rushbrook stated.

“In case you see how the laws are written down for 2026 with the rise of the electrification, with the gas adjustments and with the dedication to be net-zero by 2030, that aligns with loads of our values and what’s necessary for us. The expansion of the game performs a job as properly. We go racing for innovation and for tech switch, so transferring expertise from the racetrack to the street and, if potential, the opposite means round as properly. We additionally wish to go racing for the power to inform the story of our firm, our folks and our merchandise. Three years in the past, it turned clear that issues have been altering and that we would have liked to take a severe have a look at Method 1 once more. And right here we’re.”

Ford thought of shopping for its personal workforce

However between the ambition of returning to F1 and truly signing a deal, there may be nonetheless the step of weighing up all of the choices. Rushbrook revealed that Ford additionally checked out different choices as soon as it was clear that the corporate wished to return to F1, together with the opportunity of shopping for an present workforce.

“Earlier than we had this cope with Purple Bull, there have been loads of discussions happening,” he defined. “Some Method 1 groups approached us, and we approached some groups as properly. We wanted to grasp the panorama and the other ways to get into the game.

“We even checked out ‘Okay, ought to we purchase a workforce ourselves?’ I believe we demonstrated by what this workforce has turn into, what was Jackie Stewart Racing and Jaguar, that this isn’t our core competency, proper? Sure, we’re in motorsports, however nowhere can we personal or run a workforce. We at all times go along with companions, whether or not it is Dick Johnson racing in Australia, Penske in NASCAR, Bob Tasca in NHRA or M-Sport in rally.

“You possibly can go and do your personal energy unit totally by your self or you would are available in as only a buyer energy unit, however then Ford doesn’t have something invested right into a workforce itself. As quickly as we noticed this as a chance, it turned clear in a short time that it was the precise strategy to go. This chance permits us to companion with what we consider is the most effective workforce within the collection. We’re complementary, and for us that’s the proper strategy to do it.”

What’s Ford truly contributing?

The large query in these early conversations was what Ford might truly convey to the Purple Bull programme apart from a badge and its chequebook, and the way the facility unit programme can be run between the 2 companions, with work already properly beneath means on the workforce’s in-house Purple Bull Powertrains division.

My first query to Christian was ‘What are you in search of in a companion?’ and I used to be ready to say what we have been in search of in a companion. Within the first 20 minutes of that dialogue there was a really broad alignment,” Rushbrook recalled. “In that first assembly we additionally outlined the areas the place Purple Bull Racing wanted assist with the facility unit and with the racing workforce, and the areas the place we wished to contribute and be taught. That course of continues as we speak, though the listing is longer as we speak than throughout these preliminary discussions.”

After the primary assembly, the concept was that Ford would primarily assist with {the electrical} components of the 2026 engine, though Rushbrook emphasizes that extra is occurring behind the scenes. “Additive manufacturing is an effective instance of that. Now we have good assets and supplies for it. That wasn’t on the preliminary listing, however it’s taking place now. The identical goes for contributing to the inner combustion engine and the turbo. These issues weren’t on the preliminary listing both, however there may be loads of information that we now have with modelling and testing that may assist Purple Bull.”

Based on Rushbrook, it underlines that Ford is not simply in it for the advertising and marketing publicity but in addition for the aforementioned tech switch to its street vehicles. “Our principal focus is on the electrification, the battery cell chemistry, the battery pack, the motor, the inverter, but in addition within the controls and the software program. That may be a huge alternative for us.”

It is a means of working that’s fully completely different in comparison with what Purple Bull initially mentioned with Porsche, Horner identified. “From the outset Mark and Jim Farley stated ‘You guys do Method 1 every single day. That is your bread and butter. We’re not going to impose our methodology on you. You inform us, how can we assist? The place can we help?’ It was very a lot an open e book. It appears like a partnership that you simply’re not imposing on the engineers, which typically occurs in these relationships, and what we have been frightened of within the different possibility we have been taking a look at.”

The spirit of Mateschitz: ‘No threat, no enjoyable’

How aggressive the tip product of that collaboration might be in 2026 continues to be unknown, though Horner admitted that he was beneath no phantasm that the primary yr might be plain crusing. However he additionally sees a bonus for Ford, because the model won’t get publicly judged too harshly as a result of within the present set-up it does not have full accountability over the engine. “It is a bit like being grandparents”, Horner joked. “You get all the advantages of the child and all of the upsides, however then you definately give it again to the dad and mom and you do not have the sleepless nights and also you don’t have to alter the nappies, so there’s a sort of analogy there.

“For us it is simply thrilling to have the Blue Oval again in Method 1. After all, there’s threat related to what we’re doing. Taking over and doing what we’re doing is insane by way of the funding and producing our personal engine, however as Dietrich Mateschitz at all times instructed us: ‘No threat, no enjoyable’. That applies to this challenge, and it is one thing we could not have executed with no like-minded companion.”