Red Bull and Honda have been partners for a long time and had a pretty successful run in the Formula One Grid. Honda has been the partner of the Milton Keynes team since 2018. But this Friday, it was declared that Honda will stay as the engine partner of the team till the end of the 2025 season. Red Bull and Ford have signed a contract that extends till 2030.
From 2026 it will be Ford as the new engine partner of Red Bull. Ford will help Powertrains to develop the next-gen engine for the seasons during 2026 and 2030, and it may go even beyond that if their partnership clicks.
Not just the parent company but also the sister, Alpha Tauri, will get help from Ford during that period. Red Bull Racing and Ford have a long history too. It was the Ford-Jaguar Racing team that formed the new team back in 2004. After Jackie Stewart sold his Stewart Grand Prix to the Ford Company, they made a new team naming them the Jaguar Racing.
However, this new team did not bring much success to the American Conglomerate. Hence they decided to sell the Jaguar Racing constructor team in the month of September in the year of 2004. That\’s when the energy drink production company Red Bull bought it and, in a few years, gained huge success.
Red Bull And Honda Had Incredible Partnership, Then Why Separate?
Albeit, the history between Ford and Red Bull does not undermine the success of the racing team has had since 2018 with Honda as their engine partner. A couple of world championship titles and a constructor title. According to the Red Bull Team Principal, Christian Horner, the decision to find a new partner and also to start thinking about building their own engine was taken after Honda withdrew their team from the 2020 season.
Horner explained, \”the Japanese manufacturing company has been an incredible partner for us and will remain like that till 2025. But when they pulled back their team in 2020, it was like a wake-up call. It was a very sad moment. But that\’s when we decided to start depending on ourselves for our engines. This way, the Red Bull Powertrain came into light.\”
Horner Explains Why This New Ford Deal Is Very Different
Christian Horner wishes Honda all the very best for the 2026 season and onwards. But sounds optimistic about the new deal with an Original Equipment Manufacturer like Ford. Horner said this contract with Ford is very different as he explains, \”this new contract is absolutely technical and commercial. We don\’t have to exchange shares or any kind of participation in the business.\” The deal is simple.
According to Horner, Red Bull will be able to have access to Research and Development. Specifically on the side of the Electric Vehicle and developing software, technologies, etc. On the other hand, the American Conglomerate will take care of the business side. As it will help Horner and the team penetrate the U.S. Market. The Red Bull team made the announcement of the new partnership to the media during the team\’s new car launch in New York. Finally, the speculation on why New York was the car launch venue came to be valid.