Ford is back in Formula 1 and Red Bull has their sights set on dominating the sport.
The American car giant announced it will return to F1 in 2026 when the sport enters new engine regulations, as Red Bull's supplier.
Ford left F1 at the end of 2004 when Jaguar was sold to Red Bull.
The return is a full-circle moment for both team and the engine supplier, and it should firmly cement Red Bull's future in the sport.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was full of praise for Ford during the team's launch for the 2023 season in New York on Friday.
"I am already very excited about the possibilities that this partnership will offer both of us globally."
Globally is a keyword. Red Bull wants to dominate Formula 1, and in 2026 they will have an engine supplier who will not be happy with anything other than victories.
Ford has a proud history in F1.
The American giant is the third most successful engine manufacturer in F1 history — a mighty feat considering they have not been in the sport for almost two decades.
The Ford-Cosworth DFV power unit was the dominant force in F1 from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.
The new regulations in 2026, which requires power units to run on 100 per cent renewable fuels, were always going to be an attractive prospect for new engine manufacture to enter the sport.
Audi announced it would take over Sauber (currently called Alfa Romeo) and there were rumours that Porsche would team up with Red Bull.
But when those rumours did not materialise, Ford was there to step in.
The Red Bull-Ford partnership on paper looks formidable.
After watching Mercedes dominate the sport for close to a decade, Red Bull wants to firmly establish itself as the king of F1.
Partnering with Ford solidifies their future.
"When Ford goes racing, we race to win," Ford's CEO Jim Farley wrote on social media.
While braggadocios claims are nothing new in sport, Ford has a pedigree to back it up.
But the partnership can have just as many rewards off the track.
F1 has never been more popular in the United States than it is now.
There will be three grands prix held in the country this season as interest and fandom grow.
While there is a United States-backed team in Haas, they certainly have a long way to go to compete at the front of the grid.
Meanwhile, a successful return to F1 for Ford could cement Red Bull as America's team.
Becoming the most popular team in what may now be F1's most important and vibrant market will be a financial boon for both Red Bull and Ford, and allow them to become the global powerhouse they want to be.
When Red Bull's owner Dietrich Mateschitz died last year, there was a train of thought that suggested the team's commitment to F1 may not be as strong as it was.
The partnership with Ford has put those fleeting doubts to rest.
Red Bull has a big, muscular, all-American tag-team partner ready to launch into the sport in 2026.
F1's other big teams have now been warned.
