The Ford Motor Company is sending social media influencers to New York on the same dates Red Bull will be in the US city for their season launch event, amid speculation that the two huge brands are set to link up.
Ford has a rich history in Formula 1, but has been absent from the sport for some time. Their last involvement was in the early 2000s through their Jaguar brand, but they didn't have much success after buying Stewart Grand Prix and sold the team to Red Bull towards the end of 2004.
But F1's current period of boom seems to have inspired thoughts of a comeback. Several major carmakers are mulling over the prospect of getting involved in the sport, and Ford is at the top of the list.
Mark Rushbrook, chief of Ford's Performance division, recently admitted to Motorsport.com that getting back into F1 "requires consideration". He pointed at the marketing benefits and the massive new audience through the Drive to Survive series as reasons why Ford are keen.
Sources have told Mirror Sport that Ford and Red Bull have been in talks and that a deal is expected, though pen is yet to be put to paper. All signs point to the official announcement of their partnership being made at the season launch event on Friday, February 3.
It is not yet clear exactly how extensive the partnership will be. Ford are not believed to have signed up for the 2026 power unit regulations, while Red Bull have put extensive resource into building their own powertrains division and have a pre-existing relationship with Honda. Those factors suggest Ford may not come in as an engine partner, though it remains to be seen if that will be the case.
Mirror Sport also understands that negotiations with Ford are not the reason why Red Bull has chosen to host its season launch event in the US. Their New York plans pre-date discussions with the carmaker.
The mooted link-up between Ford and Red Bull comes after the collapse of the team's previous negotiations with Porsche. The exact reasons why that deal was never signed are not known, but Porsche have made it clear they still want to get involved in F1 and that they will explore other options.
The entry of Ford, the US' second largest carmaker, into F1 may be soon followed by the top dog in that market. General Motors are also keen to get involved in the sport and have struck a deal with Andretti Autosport – should they get approval to form an 11th F1 team – through their luxury Cadillac brand.
