F1 | Horner: “That’s why we chose Ford and not Porsche”

Red Bull Racing has gone from the concrete possibility of at least a partial acquisition of shares in the team by one manufacturer, to finding a partnership agreement with another in the space of a few months.

From Porsche’s desire for conquest to Ford’s desire for collaboration. The proposal made by the American manufacturer prevailed, which from 2026 will provide economic and technical resources to support Red Bull Powertrains in creating the power units for the single-seaters of Milton Keynes and those of AlphaTauri.

The link between the parties was made official in New York a few hours ago. Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, explained what led the team to abandon the track that would have led to Stuttgart and to accept the more moderate court made by Ford.

Basically, Horner and his associates want to remain at the helm of the team is confirmed. To be the controlling management and not the one destined to teach and step aside to pave the way for a company like Porsche.

“This is a very different relationship from the one discussed with Porsche. It is a purely commercial and technical agreement. There is no exchange of shares or interests within the company. It is a very simple agreement in which we will have the ability to share and access R&D, especially in electrics, cell technology, software development, etc. And then, commercially, of course, with Ford’s prevalence in the States United, as a business partner, allows us to gain even greater penetration in that market.”

“I think there will be an exchange of knowledge in the next three years, particularly on the electric vehicle front, and Ford has invested billions of dollars in the electrification of some of its products. 2026 horsepower. So for us, that was an area of ​​exposure, but with this partnership with Ford, I think we’ve filled that area and we’re able to compete with the other manufacturers without having that weakness, when you look at the size, Ford’s depth and strength”.

Horner underlined how the agreement with Ford is not only advantageous on a technical level, but also on a strategic and commercial level. The same can be said for Ford, which will exploit the ever-increasing notoriety of Formula 1 to have a potentially very powerful marketing platform from which to benefit.

“I think strategically it’s a strength for us. Could we have done it without Ford? Yes. But… But does it make us better with Ford? Absolutely. So, you know, their approach is similar. of a commercial and technical exchange and we are very satisfied with the result”.

“The type of relationship we will have with Ford is very different from what we would have had with Porsche. It is a simple contractual relationship. There is no exchange of shares in the company or a change of control. a very simple relationship, wanted by both parties”.

“And I think, if Ford wanted to get back into Formula One, that’s a good route for them without having to create a whole unit from scratch. And for us, we have the benefit of drawing on the knowledge and knowing how deep their research and development capabilities, have invested in hybrid technology for their range of electric vehicles,” concluded Horner.