Ford shares important update on the status of the Red Bull Powertrains project

“There are always exceptions because you can never achieve everything 100 per cent,” he said. “But when it comes to achieving power numbers, then absolutely.”

Ford is not meeting all the reliability goals yet, but according to Rushbrook, that is the reality of every program. Every time more power is found, the reliability must be tested again. This way, manufacturers can continuously push the limits.

Red Bull will end their successful collaboration with Honda at the end of 2025 and instead work on their own powertrain in partnership with American giant Ford.

While Ford remains confident in its collaboration with Red Bull Powertrains, how the team will stack up against rivals in 2026 remains unclear. “You don't know. Until everyone tests on the same test bench and under the same conditions, you cannot know,” said Mark Rushbrook, head of Ford Performance.

This uncertainty is echoed across the paddock, despite the confidence of the Mercedes project confidence about their 2026 power unit. Until direct comparisons are possible, the true competitive pecking order will remain speculation.

In 2026, Formula 1 will undergo another significant technical overhaul — the first since the sweeping changes of 2022. The upcoming regulation reset will impact both chassis and power units.

On the engine side, major changes include a greater reliance on electric power, the removal of the MGU-H component, and a switch to fully sustainable fuels for the internal combustion engine. While there was brief speculation about a return to V10 engines, that idea has since been shelved.