Ford Will Return To F1 In 2026 After More Than Two Decades Off The Track

To fans of the sport, Formula 1 is the pinnacle of racing. It's the fastest, has the most exciting races, and carries with it more drama on and off the track than any other major motorsport. There's a reason why Netflix's "Drive to Survive" is so popular. Current drivers like Lewis Hamilton make international headlines with his wins and past drivers like Michael Schumacher and the late Ayrton Senna are considered legends of motorsport on par with names like Dale Earnhardt Sr. and A.J. Foyt. In the past, Formula 1 has also served as a test bed for automotive technology. After all, if a piece of technology can survive on a track regularly going almost 200 miles per hour, it can survive in a passenger car. 

The sport only has one team headquartered in the United States, the North Carolina-based Haas F1 Team.  But now, another U.S.-based motorsports participant wants to come back to the action: Ford. Today, according to a press release, Dearborn's best is returning to Formula 1 after a long break, and it's bringing its best EV and hybrid technology to the racetrack.

Ford has been away from the F1 pitlanes for well over 20 years, according to the press release and the brand has decided it's high time to come back with an electrified zeal for the sport. It will be teaming up with both Red Bull to provide powertrain components for both Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri. Ford hopes to have a functional hybrid power unit by 2026. It will start working on the components this year. 

Bill Ford, the company's executive chair said: "This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford's motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather won a race that helped launch our company... Ford, alongside world champions, Oracle Red Bull Racing, is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford's long tradition of innovation, sustainability, and electrification to one of the world's most visible stages."

Per Ford, by 2026 Ford will be the only manufacturer involved in every level of motorsports, from small gatherings at the local racetrack to NASCAR to Formula 1.