Ahead of the major regulation changes from 2026 onwards, Red Bull have parted ways with Honda. The Milton Keynes outfit have now instead decided to partner with Ford. Max Verstappen has recently shared his thoughts about this alliance and has explained why he is “not particularly excited” by the same.
When asked by Motorsport-Magazin about Red Bull’s partnership with Ford, the Dutchman replied (as quoted by soymotor.com), “I don’t think we’ll be stupid, but we’ll find out how good it will be. It’s still not particularly exciting at the moment“.
Since there is immense uncertainty about how the partnership between Red Bull and Ford will turn out, it will definitely be one to watch out for in the coming seasons. This alliance will most likely decide if Red Bull will continue their domination in the campaigns ahead or will new contenders emerge for the title once the new regulations kick in.
The Milton Keynes outfit have invested a whopping $48 million into research and development for their powertrains project. While Red Bull and Ford will officially only start working in 2026, the Milton Keynes outfit will continue to partner with Honda until the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.
The Japanese manufacturer has agreed to work alongside Red Bull to help them with their powertrains project until the end of the 2025 season. Starting in 2026, Red Bull will partner with Ford, while Honda will form an alliance with Aston Martin.
Max Verstappen explains why Ford partnership does not excite him
Since the uncertainty surrounding the Red Bull-Ford partnership is so high, Max Verstappen does not seem too optimistic about it. In the same interview, the Dutchman explained how rival teams will often object if Red Bull decides to push for anything since the “sport is very political“.
The 26-year-old believes that suspicions arise about new collaborations because rivals believe that the teams forming the alliances have found something special. As a result, rivals will constantly try to unnerve these teams.
While the Red Bull-Ford partnership will only begin in 2026, the Milton Keynes outfit are likely to dominate until then. Red Bull seem to have the best understanding of the current regulations to produce the best package for their cars in the upcoming two seasons.
