Official: Ford is back in Formula 1

After much gossip, finally Ford has made the official announcement of its return to Formula 1 due to the “growing popularity” of the world’s top motorsport competition in the US market and worldwide in recent years and its transition to a more electrified and sustainable future, a path that coincides with the goals that car brands are currently pursuing. F1 is the best showcase for brands to reach the public, and Ford wants to take advantage of this in its return to the competition of its loves from 2026, when the new F1 engines are introduced. It remains to be seen which team they will join, although in recent days there have been strong rumors of a possible tie-up with Red Bull which has yet to be confirmed.

The return of Ford means the return to F1 of an iconic brand for this competition. And it should not be forgotten that the North American brand based in Detroit (Michigan) was already a main pillar in the ‘Great Circus’, providing important machines to a large number of teams from 1967 to 2004. Special mention must do with the historic association of Ford and Cosworth, a firm that joined Ford since the late 50s to produce its competition engines. That association led to the fact that, years later, Lotus won the 1973 Constructors’ World Championship powered by a Ford-Cosworth engine, a legendary V8 engine that would also be used by four other teams. Such was the importance of the American engine, that in the 70s there were only two important teams without American companies, Ferrari and BRM. And in 1973, Lotus made history in a year in which the top 5 positions in the World Championship were occupied by cars with Ford-Cosworth engines, with a total of 8 cars in the Top-10. An atrocity. Things continued in 1975, when 12 of the 13 teams making up the F1 grid (Brabham, McLaren, Hesketh, Tyrrell, Shadow, Lotus, March, Williams, Parnelli, Hill, Penske and Ensign) used that legendary V8 engine .

176 wins, 13 driver’s and 10 constructors’ titles

Ford found that it remains the third most successful engine manufacturer in F1 history 10 constructors’ championships and 13 drivers’ championships. Ford-Cosworth engines won 176 Grands Prix between 1967 and 2004, 10 Manufacturers’ titles, and numerous world drivers’ titles: Graham Hill (1968), Jackie Stewart (1969), Jochen Rindt (1970), Jackie Stewart (1971), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972), Jackie Stewart (1973), Emerson Fittipaldi (1974), James Hunt (1976), Mario Andretti (1978), Alan Jones (1980), Nelson Piquet (1981), and Keke Rosberg (1982).

In the 1990s, some ensembles received support from Ford-Cosworth, like Benneton in his B194 with which Michael Schumacher won his first world title in 1994with a machine Ford Zetec V8 developed by Cosworth in his car

Manufacturer with Jaguar and subsequent sale to Red Bull

In the 2000s, Ford entered as a constructor after many years as a motorcyclist under the name of Jaguard Racing, but after 5 difficult campaigns, the American firm decided to withdraw from Formula 1. That Jaguar team was sold to Red Bull, which managed to create a set that is now one of the greatest powers in competition, while Cosworth was also sold. Red Bull started in F1 using in its first year (2005) the V10 Cosworth, built for Ford. Two decades later, rumors point to a new union of the two brands.

“This is an exciting new chapter in our history”

“This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the history of Ford motorsports, which began when my great-grandfather won a race that helped launch our company,” said Bill Ford, CEO. “Ford is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing its long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible stages.” And it is that there are two main aspects in Ford’s strategy to return to the ‘Great Circus’: the enormous ‘boom’ of popularity around the world, especially in the United States, especially due to the growth of competition among the public youth for things like the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’ and its modernization of digital communication. This allows Ford to see in F1 an attractive place to present itself to the world in a competition that also goes hand in hand with the sustainability goals set by the automotive sector, with more sustainable engines and larger electricity from 2026 and a zero carbon footprint plan to compete in 2030 by using synthetic fuels.

“Today’s news that Ford is coming to Formula 1 from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula 1,” said Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO . of Formula 1. “Ford is a global brand with an incredible heritage in the racing and automotive world and they see the enormous value that our platform provides to more than half a billion fans around the world. Our commitment to be zero carbon race by 2030 and the introduction of sustainable fuels in F1 cars from 2026 is also a major reason for your decision to enter F1. We believe that our sport provides an opportunity and scope like no other and not we can’t wait for the Ford logo to ride on the iconic F1 circuits from 2026.”

“There are few manufacturers with such a history in motorsport as Ford, so to see them return to Formula 1 is great news,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. “It further emphasizes the success of the 2026 Power Unit Regulations which has at its heart the commitment to both sustainability and spectacle and of course having more interest from the United States is essential to the continued growth of the most important motor sports category in the world . ”, concluded the FIA ​​president.