Ford reaffirmed its commitment to the Red Bull Formula 1 team’s 2026 power unit program following the departure of chief technical officer Adrian Newey. The clarification by Ford aims to dispel concerns about the impact of this significant change within the Austrian team.
Ford Performance Motorsports has publicly reinforced its dedication to Red Bull Racing amidst the recent announcement of Adrian Newey’s upcoming departure from the team in 2025. This partnership focuses on the 2026 power unit regulations, which marks a new era of technical evolution in Formula 1.
Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance Motorsports Director, addressed the media to quash any uncertainty about Ford’s position following the designer’s exit, stating firmly that the partnership remains intact. Rushbrook praised Newey for his monumental contributions to the sport but confirmed that the future plans for Red Bull and Ford remain unchanged. He commented to Autosport, as quoted by Motorsport Week:
“We have huge respect for Adrian in terms of his career and all the things that he has done for many different teams in F1, especially the last 19 years at Red Bull.”
The departure of Newey, a legend in the F1 paddock responsible for numerous championship-winning cars, comes amid whispers of internal strains. However, these speculations have not deterred Ford’s plans with Red Bull. Rushbrook continued:
“Nothing but admiration and respect for him and we wish him the best for whatever he will do in the future. Our focus though fully remains on the power unit programme for 2026. That’s unchanged after this news and that is still going ahead full throttle.
“Continuity was in the very first discussions that I had with Christian Horner,” Rushbrook added. So, my question to him was: ‘How is Red Bull going to continue to be successful in 2026 with all-new regulations?’
“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 organisation. That is no different in this case. I am not being disrespectful to Adrian at all because he is fantastic, but every team has a succession plan.”
Rushbrook touched upon the alignment of values and goals with Red Bull, explaining:
“To do anything great in motorsport, we as Ford find the best teams to partner with. We believe that we have found the best team in Formula 1.
“It is all about cooperation, understanding the situation and being committed to doing what it takes to be successful. That is continuing with both parties.”
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