In a few short days, the lights will go out at Albert Park in Melbourne, and a Red Bull Ford-powered car will scream toward Turn 1 of a Formula 1 Grand Prix for the first time ever.
I’ve got butterflies. I think we all do.
For the last three years, we’ve been talking about this – our return to the pinnacle of motorsport. We’ve shared the news of our partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing and discussed the technical milestones of the all-new power unit we are co-developing for the 2026 regulations.
But as any racer will tell you, the talking stops when the visor goes down.
This isn’t just a new chapter. It’s the continuation of Ford’s remarkable history in Formula 1. Even after more than two decades away, Ford remains one of the most successful engine manufacturers the sport has ever seen. We’ve helped power some of the greatest names in F1 history to championships, including Michael Schumacher, Graham Hill, Sir Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, and more.
We belong in F1. And now is the moment to put the Blue Oval back on the biggest stage in motorsport -- at a time when the sport is reaching new levels of global popularity.
Red Bull Ford Powertrains is a true technical collaboration. This is a powerhouse effort between Milton Keynes in England and Dearborn, Michigan. Our engineers have been working hand-in-hand with some of the best minds in the business to develop a power unit that embraces the future of electrification and sustainable fuels.
But why does this matter to you, whether you're on the assembly line in Michigan or in the market for a new car?
It matters because Ford Racing is our ultimate laboratory.
We are currently in the midst of our busiest racing year ever — competing in 34 different series, from the dust of Dakar to the high banks of NASCAR and the hallowed asphalt of Le Mans in the WEC.
What we learn in racing doesn’t stay at the track. The software we develop to manage energy recovery in Melbourne and the aerodynamics we refined for the F1 car are the same building blocks that could make our future road cars — like the next generation of Raptor and Mustang — faster, more efficient, and more exciting for our customers.
This is a direct pipeline of innovation. For us, winning is not just being first to the flag. It's discovering new ways to make our products even better and more capable for our customers That’s what racing does for Ford.
We’re proud of how far we’ve come, and we’re even more optimistic about where we’re going. The wait is over.
It’s time to go racing.
Will Ford is general manager of Ford Racing.
