Ford has begun producing components for Red Bull's 2026 Formula 1 car.

      Ford will make its return to Formula 1 in 2026 after a long absence, serving as Red Bull’s technical partner in powertrains. Although the first race is more than a year away, the company has already commenced testing components aimed at helping Red Bull maintain its leading position in the sport's upcoming phase. Additionally, Ford states that some insights gained from this project have already been applied to its production models.

      The task for Red Bull Ford Powertrains appears to be straightforward on paper: to develop an internal combustion engine along with a 350-kilowatt electric motor. Ford has a long history of manufacturing internal combustion engines and has gained substantial expertise in electric powertrain design in recent years. However, this is Formula 1, the apex of motorsport and, in many respects, automotive engineering, where mistakes are costly. The new technical regulations set to take effect in 2026 complicate the development process further.

      Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, enhances the development efficiency. Ford can create components that cannot be produced using conventional manufacturing methods, which is quite remarkable. The automaker's last involvement in F1 was in 2004 when it sold the Jaguar Racing team to Red Bull. At that time, 3D printing was a relatively unknown technology, meaning Ford couldn't have created the current race car using those methods.

      Nevertheless, the process remains challenging. Ford has reportedly produced around 1,000 parts for Red Bull, including 3D-printed cold plates for batteries, and is testing them with techniques more commonly associated with the aerospace sector. Engineers are rigorously assessing the mechanical strength, hardness, and geometric accuracy of each component, which are then subjected to X-ray and CT scans before being sent to the measurement laboratory.

      Automakers often claim that racing technologies eventually influence their consumer vehicles. In Ford's situation, this seems to hold true, although perhaps not in the anticipated manner. Members of its Non-Destructive Engineering team employed the same advanced scanning methods used for developing components for Red Bull's F1 car to address a glue overflow issue in the headlights of the F-150. Ford had been working for months to resolve this problem, which causes condensation in the light housing; the scanning technology reportedly enabled engineers to identify a solution in just one day of testing.

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