Alpine outcast drops his verdict on the Red Bull-Ford partnership 

Alpine outcast, Otmar Szafnauer, felt that Red Bull was getting a very competent partner in Ford as its power unit in 2026. He was a part of the French squad as a team principal for 2022 and was released in mid-2023. The Austrian brand, on the other hand, would be teaming up with the American giant for 2026.

The partnership would more or less see Red Bull Powertrain units get badged as 'Ford' but also see the American brand play a major role in the electrical side of it. The partnership came into existence after the Milton Keynes-based outfit decided that it was time it controlled every bit of what went on with the car.

The team had been significantly thwarted by an underpowered Renault unit in the Turbo hybrid. Moreover, Honda's sudden departure was the final nail in the coffin for the team to start building its own power unit. Ford, on the other hand, has a history of success in F1 and as an engine partner. Its stint as a constructor, however, was not as successful, and ironically, that team was eventually sold to Red Bull.

Talking to PlanetF1 about the partnership between the two entities, Otmar Szafneur felt that both entities had to work hard to ensure synergy. Commending the choice of Ford as a partner, the former Alpine boss said:

“Red Bull is getting a very competent and capable partner. Now, the one thing that I learned when I left Ford to go to British American Racing [in 1998], is I quickly learned the things that worked at Ford that would also work in Formula One I needed to apply. But there are other things that would work well at Ford that wouldn’t work well in F1, just the opposite, it would slow them down."

He added:

“Those things – you don’t apply and you have to have the experience of both sides to say ‘Yes, that would be helpful’, and, ‘No, that won’t’. If you mix those two, you can get yourself in trouble. If you don’t mix them, then great.”

Red Bull chief on teaming up with Ford

Red Bull boss Christian Horner was at a Ford event recently and shared how it was an exciting time for both parties as they get ready for 2026. Talking about how the American brand would play a pivotal role as RBPT makes its debut in 2026, Horner said:

“It’s great to be kicking off 2025 celebrating Ford Performance as together, we prepare for the challenges and changes coming to both Formula 1 and Red Bull in 2026."

He added:

“It is a hugely exciting time for the team and, while the prospect of building our own engine is an undertaking that cannot be underestimated, our partnership with Ford is a pivotal one in the overall project."

It would be an uphill task for RBPT to be successful, especially, since it will be going up against the might of Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda, and Audi.