Red Bull & Ford power up for 2026 with joint season Detroit launch

The event will mark the official start of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains era, with both teams revealing their new liveries and machinery for the first season under the next-generation regulations. It will also serve as the debut showcase for Red Bull’s first in-house power unit, created in collaboration with Ford.

Paying tribute to Ford’s motorsport heritage, Red Bull has chosen Detroit as the venue for this milestone launch. The 2026 season will see Red Bull enter as a full power unit manufacturer for the first time, with Red Bull Ford Powertrains supplying both of its teams.

Laurent Mekies, CEO and Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said: “The launch of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains era represents not only a bold step into the future, but a powerful expression of what’s possible when world-class engineering, innovation, and passion come together.

"To see the energy, precision, and scale behind this project is inspiring. It’s the culmination of several years of collaboration between two great names in motorsport.

"We’re incredibly excited to begin this new chapter, driven by the same determination and excellence that defines both Ford and Red Bull," Mekies concluded.

Peter Bayer, CEO of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, added: "We're incredibly excited to welcome Ford back into the world of Formula 1.

"With over 125 years of heritage, innovation, and absolute dedication to performance, Ford embodies the same competitive spirit that drives our team. This partnership brings together global brands united by a love of racing and a commitment to pushing boundaries.

"As a member of the Red Bull family and together with our title partners; Visa and Cash App, we see huge opportunities to join forces and connect with a new generation of fans and showcase the future of performance and mobility on a global stage.

"Launching this new era in Detroit, the birthplace of Ford, makes it all the more special," Bayer concluded.

Ford CEO Jim Farley added: “Since we announced our return to F1 with Red Bull, the Ford team have been working night and day to get ready for 2026.

But this is about so much more than just the racing. It is about how we use our learnings from F1 to make our cars and trucks better for our customers.

What we will learn together with Red Bull will define the technologies of the future and that is what excites me most about this relationship," Farley concluded.

The January launch in Detroit will officially kick off Red Bull and Ford’s new era in Formula 1, as both brands prepare to take on the sport’s biggest technical transformation in nearly a decade.