by Red Bull are reportedly about to sign a deal with Ford ahead of their 2023 car launch on Friday.
Christian Horner’s team, which achieved driver and constructor success last season when Max Verstappen won his second world title, is looking for a car partner who held talks with Porsche last summer.
Although negotiations with the German giant have fallen through, several car manufacturers are in the market to join Formula 1 in the coming years given the sport’s huge popularity.
The Ford Motor Company, which was last involved in F1 with Jaguar in 2004, is one such interested party and The Mirror reports that a deal is expected to be struck with Red Bull – and could be done as early as Friday be announced.
Red Bull will launch their 2023 car, the RB19, on February 3 in New York City – where Ford has reportedly sent social media influencers to await a deal confirmation.
The report adds that it is currently unclear whether Ford would join as an engine partner, in the same way as Audi’s already confirmed partnership with Sauber, with the German manufacturer when new engine regulations come into effect in 2026.
Red Bull has set up its own powertrain division at their base in Milton Keynes and will continue to work with Japanese manufacturer Honda on their engines this year.
Ford performance chief Mark Rushbrook insists that any move into the F1 market “requires consideration”.
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Red Bull is reportedly about to sign a deal with Ford
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“Formula 1 is certainly strong and growing, both in the United States and globally,” he told Motorsport.com last week.
“What they have done well is to create great racing and great competition. It’s still the pinnacle, but they’ve managed to reach a new audience with things like Drive to Survive.
“As a company, we are going to race for innovation, technology transfer, the learning opportunity, but also for marketing reasons. It has certainly shifted and it definitely requires consideration.
Ford’s eagerness to enter the world of Formula 1 could be in response to rival General Motors partnering with Andretti, under their Cadillac brand.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has opened an “expression of interest” process for new teams to join the grid, although it is unlikely that a new team will join before 2026.
