F1
Blue Planet of Racing
Oracle Red Bull Racing’s partnership with Ford brings the company back to the pinnacle of motorsport for the first time in 22 years.
Ford headlines a massive programme of global competition set to make the Blue Oval one of the biggest names in racing – and Red Bull is at the heart of many of the campaigns
Over the past century there’s hardly been a decade in which Ford haven’t had a major presence in some form of global racing discipline. From Red Byron’s win at the wheel of a Ford in the first ever NASCAR race at Daytona Beach in 1948 to the quartet of Le Mans victories scored with the iconic GT40 in the 1960s to the equally iconic rallying Escorts of the 1970s and even up to last year’s Daytona 24 GTD class win for the Mustang GT3, the Blue Oval has a hugely rich racing story to tell.
Ford GT40
© Ford
The Escort Mk 1 driven by Jean Francois Pinot
© DPPI
And perhaps the biggest chapter of that tale is set to be told in 2026. At the top of the bill is, of course, our partnership with Ford in Formula One. For the first time since the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, when it competed with the Jaguar brand it then owned, Ford will return to the grid with a Red Bull Ford Powertrains power unit in the back of the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22.
However, it’s not Ford’s only competitive presence in the global 2026 racing calendar, with the newly renamed Ford Racing division embarking on a vast programme that will see it competing in racing disciplines from grassroots motorsports to endurance racing, rallying, stock and touring cars and off-road adventures. Here are some of the highlights to look out for.
01
Endurance Racing
Ford has a glorious heritage in sportscar racing, with the incredible story of its rivalry with Ferrari being dramatically told in the Ford vs Ferrari/Le Mans ’66 movie. But while the all-conquering GT40 is the undoubted highlight of its endurance racing activity, a new era of greatness might be about to begin.
Le Mans - Ford vs. Ferrari
© Le Mans 24 Hours
Ford’s sportscar racing presence in 2026 will be headlined by its Mustang GT3 which is embarking on full seasons in the GTD class of the US IMSA series and in the LMGT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Ford Mustang GT3 in Detroit
© IMSA
Last year, the Ford Multimatic Racing squad bagged a class win at the legendary Daytona Race with drivers Christopher Mies, Dennis Olsen, Frédéric Vervisch, and switching series, Olsen, along with Proton Competition team-mates Stefano Gattuso and Giammarco Levorato and Dennis Olsen grabbed a podium finish at the 6 Hours of Spa.
Beyond the Mustang, however, 2026 will be defined by the development of a bigger Ford project – a Hypercar challenger for 2027. Class rules mandate that one of four manufacturers supply the chassis on which Ford can build its contender for the top step at Le Mans and the Blue Oval is partnering with French chassis supplier Oreca to develop a car for WEC’s top tier, with former Red Bull Ford Powertrains Programme Director, Dan Sayers at the helm. The Ford-powered and built prototype will make its Le Mans debut in the event’s 95th running in June 2027, renewing at 58-year-old rivalry with Ferrari which won the last two Le Mans 24 Hours and took the overall WEC title in 2025.
02
Australian Supercars
Ford has a long history of success in Australian racing and with racing team, Triple Eight Race Engineering, and between 2003 and the end of 2009 took three Bathurst 1000 victories with Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, as well as back-to-back V8 Supercup Drivers’ Championships for Whincup.
V8 Supercars
© unknown
Jamie Whincup at the 2014 Bathurst 1000
© VUE Images/Red Bull Content Pool
In 2026 that winning partnership will be renewed and Red Bull, which has a history of supporting Triple Eight dating back to 2012, will be at the centre of the new story. For the sixth season in a row the team will compete as Red Bull Ampol Racing with Will Brown and Broc Feeney at the wheel of the team’s Mustang Ford Mustang S650 cars, while Whincup, who enjoyed so much success at the wheel of Fords will take over as Team Principal.
Will Brown and Broc Feeney Red Bull Ampol Racing at Livery Landing
© Red Bull
03
Rally Raid
For a company whose F-150 truck was the bestselling vehicle in the US for almost 50 years, extreme off road competition should have been a natural fit, but while Ford trucks routinely took part in major bajas (and won) it was only the advent of the FIA World Rally Raid Championship in 2022 that the company at last had a platform on which it could be a global challenge – and once again it did so in Red Bull colours.
Ford Raptor T1
© Ford
10 min
Building a beast
Discover the process to build the ultimate Raptor, from CAD designs to making its first tracks in the wild.
The incredible Raptor T1 made its debut at the 2025 season-opener, the legendary Dakar Rally, and at its first attempt the company grabbed a podium, with former DTM and rallycross champion Mattias Ekström taking a stage win on his way to third place.
Across the course of the 2025 season Ford developed the Raptor, redesigning the bodywork for a cleaner aerodynamic profile and reduced the car’s weight by almost 50 kg. The changes mean that Ekström, alongside team-mates Carlos Sainz Snr, Mitch Guthrie and Nani Roma go into the 2026 season among the favourites for event and overall honours in the remodelled Raptor T1+. In keeping with recently established tradition, the season kicks off with the iconic Dakar Rally in January, with over 400 vehicles taking part across a range of categories.
Ford Raptor T1+
© Kin Marcin / Red Bull Content Pool
Ford Raptor T1+
© Kin Marcin / Red Bull Content Pool
Ford Raptor T1+
© Kin Marcin / Red Bull Content Pool
04
Bound for the Baja
Ford is also looking for more success in other major off-road events. At the top of that list is its defence of a pair of class wins at the 2025 edition of the famed Baja 1000.
12 min
Journey to the Baja 1000
Bryce looks back on his season and gets in the zone for the biggest race of his life: the Baja 1000.
The Baja 1000 can get pretty Mad Max...
© Marcos Ferro/Red Bull Content Pool
Bryce Menzies on the gas at the Baja 1000
© Art Eugenio/Red Bull Content Pool
A vast thrash across the daunting landscapes of Mexico’s Baja peninsula, the Baja 1000 has been a fixture for Ford drivers since its 1967, with the second edition being won by Larry Minor and Jack Bayer in a Ford Bronco. The Bronco returned in 2025, with the Raptor variant taking Stock Mid-Size class honours. Ford then doubled down, with the 3.5L F-150 Raptor capturing the Stock Full-Size class win.
The 2026 edition is again expected to feature a host of Fords and with the race featuring heavily at the end of F1: The Movie, the Baja 1000 is likely to be followed by even more fans.
05
World Rally Championship
Ford had a long and successful history in rallying. It won the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1979 with the Ford Escort RS1800, gave the crazily quick Group B Ford RS200 to the world in 1986, and competed with the remarkable Sierra and Escort RS Cosworth before teaming up with Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport in 1997.
The 2017 Ford Fiesta WRC
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
That partnership continues in 2026 with a new driver line-up at the wheel of the Puma Rally 1 car for the FIA World Rally Championship. Jon Armstrong will make his Rally1 debut alongside co-driver Shane Byrne following a breakthrough FIA European Rally Championship campaign, while team-mate Josh McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy are retained for a second full season after gaining experience in Rally1 machinery during 2025. Both Irish crews are set to begin their campaigns at the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo in January.