Ford evaluated Red Bull’s future: “This advantage does not guarantee anything”

Ford global director Mark Rushbrook has urged people not to jump to premature conclusions about the potential of the new Red Bull car ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

New rules that include significant changes in aerodynamics and powertrains will come into force in F1 in 2026. As part of these changes, Ford began a technical partnership with Red Bull.

According to Rushbrook, the collaboration has gone far beyond initial plans that concerned only the electrical side of the plant.

“When we arrived, we said that Ford would focus on electrical components. The main efforts were directed here.

But later we were also able to add our expertise in control systems and calibration to effectively combine the internal combustion engine with electrification. We can also produce individual components, including internal combustion engines, in our factories.

“The project is managed by Milton Keynes, but we have provided all the resources that can strengthen the team,” he said.

Rumors had previously emerged in the paddock that Mercedes and Red Bull had found a technical advantage in their power plants regarding compression ratio that could give them an advantage at the start of the new regulation cycle.

However, Rushbrook emphasized that an advantage in a single component does not guarantee high speed on the track.

“Let’s see. Success requires many components: a good car, a powerful engine that works efficiently in both thermal and electrical modes, reliability, correct calibration. Advantage in one area does not mean advantage in everything.

There are many opportunities for improvement and the challenge is to ensure that all powertrains work as a single whole,” a Ford spokesman concluded.