Red Bull recently launched the RB17, a hypercar that has been in the works since 2021. They used their engine – Red Bull Powertrains – for this project but the Austrian stable reportedly wanted Ford’s help. However, the American company refused.
Honda has been Red Bull’s partner since 2019, and the Japanese manufacturer has powered the team to unprecedented glory of late. But from 2026 onwards, Ford enters the mix and they are supposed to help Red Bull with their powertrains department. For now, however, they didn’t want to be associated with the RB17 project.
Team Principal Christian Horner spoke to Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this week, where he spoke about Red Bull approaching Ford. The reason the Dearborn-based company didn’t agree was it “didn’t fit with their [Ford’s] EV criteria.”
| Wait for RB17 is over. Here is Adrian Newley designed all new RB17:
– RB17, Adrian Newey’s latest creation, a track-only hypercar from Red Bull.
– Powered by a Cosworth-made 1,000bhp 4.5-litre V10 engine that revs up to 15,000rpm, and assisted by a 200bhp electric motor.
— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) July 12, 2024
EVs or Electric Vehicles are deemed the future by many. And the biggest automobile companies in the world are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to fund EV initiatives. In fact, Ford only enters F1 with Red Bull in 2026 because the new engines from that year onwards are going to be 50% electric.
The RB17 on the other hand, has a 200 hp electric motor that is similar to the Aston Martin Valkyrie. The massive fuel-guzzling V10 doesn’t fit well with what Ford wants to invest in.
Regardless, the RB17’s release was highly anticipated, not just because of its specs, but because of the fact that it was the last Red Bull car Adrian Newey designed.
Whether Ford is comfortable with Newey leaving, meanwhile, became a matter of speculation.
Is Ford afraid of Newey leaving before Red Bull’s 2026 project?
Newey has been an integral part of Red Bull’s success since joining the team in 2006. Now that he leaves, the Milton-Keynes-based outfit will have a huge hole to fill.
The 2026 regulation changes are engine-centric, but there are structural changes to the F1 car as well, which was Newey’s area of expertise. Integrating the Ford engine into the new chassis in an optimal way could be a huge difference-maker.
Ford, however, remains undeterred with Newey’s exit. Like Red Bull, they too, are focusing on just one thing, which is winning. And the legendary aerodynamicist leaving won’t change that. Like any good company or any good racing team, you always have a succession plan, and you are always training and developing people within the organization”, said Ford’s Performance Motorsports Director Mark Rushbrook as per PlanetF1.
Ford and Red Bull aren’t too bothered with Newey’s exit affecting the 2026 project. Only time will tell how good of a job the collaboration has done in terms of the new power unit.
