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Citing unnamed sources, the report says a partnership with Red Bull could be a way for the Blue Oval to return to the top of motorsport. Reportedly, there is little desire for Ford to fund a full production team right now or in the near future. Therefore, a “badging exercise” with some engineering and technical assistance at Red Bull—along with a hefty check, of course—could be just what the Dearborn automaker is looking for.
The report cited a comment from Red Bull team principal Christan Horner earlier this year, in which he openly expressed the team’s desire to find a “similar partner.”
“We are fully committed to a Red Bull power unit, and if there is a similar partner who can contribute something to the project, of course you have to fully consider that. But it is not necessary,” said by Horner, according to Motorsport.com “We are the only team other than Ferrari to have the engine and chassis all on one campus under one roof.”
It was believed that a partnership with someone like Ford would guarantee the team more freedom—freedoms not allowed by Porsche. The German automaker reportedly wants more control over operations than Red Bull is willing to give, including an ownership stake in the team.
Of course, this remains just a rumor, given the fact that neither Red Bull nor Ford have publicly mentioned each other’s names, let alone made a statement on the matter. We’ve reached out to Ford for comment and will update this story when we hear back.
Ford is no stranger to Formula 1, of course. The American automaker’s logo has been proudly displayed on several racing cars over the years. The famous—and somewhat colorful—Benetton car from the Schumacher era was powered by a screaming Ford V8 that helped the German to two world championships. Later, there was the Stewart F1 team, who ran solid white cars with the big Blue Oval and HSBC sponsorship.
Its most recent role in F1 began in 2000 when Ford ran the Jaguar F1 Racing team, sadly without much success. It also supplied engines to Eddie Jordan’s team, powering the last batch of iconic yellow cars. The Jaguar F1 was eventually sold to a newcomer to the sport—guess who? Yes, Red Bull.
Outside of F1, Ford has teamed up with Red Bull through a successful partnership in rally racing, proving that the two companies aren’t exactly strangers to each other.
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