Ford Partners With Red Bull in Return to Formula One

For Ford, the new rules, particularly the emphasis on electricity, and sustainable fuels, led it to revise its position on Formula One, a sport that it left after deciding it could not justify the business case to remain. Ford sold its Jaguar racing team to Red Bull in 2004.

Ford’s new involvement — and, Farley made clear, its potential costs — would not be as intensive as those borne by typical teams backed by automobile manufacturers like Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault. “We wanted something more strategic,” Farley said.

He called it “a very practical approach to entering Formula One,” adding, “I can look my shareholders, the Ford family, in the eyes and say we’re being very judicious and thoughtful.”

Mark Rushbrook, the head of Ford’s motorsports division, said Ford spoke with 10 Formula One teams, as well as some aspiring teams, before reaching a deal with Red Bull, a decision that executives said was eventually made late last year.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/sports/autoracing/ford-red-bull-formula-one.html