There are a handful of new power unit suppliers looking to enter Formula 1 for the 2026 season, introducing plenty of variables when it comes to predicting performance.

But when it comes to Ford — the American auto brand partnering with Red Bull Racing — things are apparently looking pretty great.

Ford and Red Bull hitting power numbers, getting along

After Honda announced its intentions to leave Formula 1, Red Bull Racing soon began scoping out potential new power unit suppliers.

Even though Honda did eventually decide to remain in the sport, Red Bull had already launched Red Bull Powertrains, a company designed to ease the team into a post-Honda phase — and one that soon partnered with Ford.

The American automaker had very reasonable aims when it first joined up with Red Bull: It intended to offer its expertise on the electronic components of the F1 power unit, allowing Red Bull to focus more on the combustion engine element.

But as the partnership has evolved, so too has scope of the project, which now sees Ford taking on an even stronger developmental role.

More on Ford and F1 2026:

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And so far, progress has been smooth, Mark Rushbrook, global director at Ford Performance, told Motorsport.com’s Dutch affiliate.

“The partnership is actually getting stronger every day, from the first discussions and the moment the contract was signed, although the work had already started before that,” Rushbrook explained.

“Initially the focus was on electrification,” Rushbrook said.

“But with our advanced manufacturing facility and our [3D] printing machines, we can make things in real time.

“We are literally making things every day that come out of Dearborn, are shipped and are tested in the lab in Milton Keynes.”

That high level of manufacturer support has historically been critical to finding racing success, be it in Formula 1 or any other discipline. An F1 team may have impressive facilities, but those facilities often still pale in comparison to the sheer amount of resources on offer from major automakers.

And it has been a massively promising start.

“There is obviously still a lot of work to do and a lot to prove in terms of durability, but the partnership — the openness, the trust and the contribution from both sides — has been excellent so far,” Rushbrook said.

“It’s everything we hoped for and actually more than we expected.”

That’s massively high praise, and it signals that Ford may become a hugely desirable PU provider in the future.

Per Rushbrook, Ford and RBPT are already hitting their targets, even if there have been some delays.

“But when it comes to achieving the power numbers, then absolutely,” he said when asked if things were on track.

“Then it’s about the reliability tests to match that. Do you achieve everything perfectly? No, but that’s the reality of any programme.

“It just happens as you go along and then it’s about how you respond, in terms of urgency and in terms of the mindset of the people. So we respond to what we see.

“When the engine develops and finds more power, then of course it’s always about testing reliability. So it’s: power, reliability, power, reliability.”

The initial power is there; now it’s all about honing that craft.

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