Red Bull set to announce F1 partnership with Ford

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It's presentation day for Red Bull, and the championship winning outfit will reportedly unveil in New York on Friday an engine branding deal with American automotive giant Ford.

The rumors of a tie-up between Red Bull and Ford have been swirling for weeks, but according to a report from the BBC, a deal between the F1 team and the Blue Oval is signed and sealed.

The report states that Italian news agency Ansa was provided by Ford with embargoed details of its deal with Red Bull, that were then published by error.

Red Bull, which last year was in negotiation with Porsche for an F1 partnership until talks between the two parties collapsed at the end of the summer, will use Honda power until the end of 2025.

But the introduction of new engine regulations in 2026 will see the team switch to its own power unit that is currently under development at Red Bull Powertrains.

As the force behind the development of the legendary Cosworth DFV engine that won delivered 155 Grands prix, Ford has written one of the most important chapters, and several others, in the history of Grand Prix racing.

Read also: Ford says involvement in F1 now ‘requires consideration’

However, it's unclear if Ford's return to F1 with Red Bull will extend to a technical collaboration with the reigning world champions or if its presence on the grid will be limited to a simple branding deal with both red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri.

Queried recently on Ford's potential involvement in F1, Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Performance Motorsports said that the company had put the sport "under consideration".

"As a company we go racing for innovation, tech transfer, the learning opportunity, but also for marketing reasons as well," commented Rushbrook.

Ford's presence in F1 might see it go head-to-head -- at least in terms of marketing -- with its fellow American automotive giant General Motors, whose Cadillac brand is partnering with Andretti Global in a bid to enter F1 in the future.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.