Does Ford have a Formula One team?
No. Ford does not currently operate a factory Formula One team. The last direct F1 presence under the Ford umbrella was through Jaguar Racing, which competed from 2000 to 2004 before being sold and rebranded as Red Bull Racing in 2005. Since then, Ford has not announced plans to enter F1 as a works constructor.
A brief history of Ford's Formula One involvement
Here is a concise timeline of the main chapters in Ford's F1 story.
- The Ford-backed Cosworth DFV engine powered a wide field of teams starting in the late 1960s, making Ford a dominant engine supplier even though it did not field a standalone works team. Lotus, Tyrrell, McLaren and others achieved championships and race wins thanks to the DFV.
- Ford did not run a dedicated factory F1 team during this era, but its engines were central to the sport's competitiveness for more than a decade.
- In the early 2000s, Ford owned the Jaguar Racing team, which entered Formula One as a factory effort from 2000 through 2004.
- In 2005, Ford sold Jaguar Racing to Red Bull, and the team was rebranded as Red Bull Racing, marking Ford's withdrawal from direct constructor involvement in F1.
In short, Ford's influential role in F1 has historically been as an engine supplier and as a parent company that owned a works team for a period, but it has not operated a current factory F1 team since 2004–2005.
Jaguar Racing era and the Red Bull transition
These chapters define Ford's direct competition status in Formula One and its eventual exit as a constructor.
- From 2000 to 2004, Jaguar Racing competed in Formula One as a Ford-owned team, aiming for podiums and points but never clinching a World Championship.
- After Ford announced a strategic shift away from running a works F1 team, Jaguar Racing was sold to Red Bull and rebranded as Red Bull Racing in 2005, continuing in the sport under new ownership.
- Red Bull Racing subsequently built its own championship-winning program, eventually becoming a fixture in Formula One with engine and technical partnerships that did not involve Ford as a factory entrant.
These developments effectively ended Ford's direct participation in Formula One as a constructor, while the sport evolved with new manufacturers and engine suppliers.
Current status and future prospects
As of 2025, there is no official Ford entry in Formula One. Ford has not announced plans to return as a factory team, and public statements from the company have positioned F1 as outside its current strategic priorities, which emphasize electrification and other motorsport programs. While rumors and speculation about a potential return surface from time to time, there is no confirmed timeline or commitment for Ford to re-enter Formula One as a works manufacturer.
For fans tracking the sport, the closest historical link remains Ford's legacy through Jaguar Racing and its early involvement with the Cosworth DFV engine, which shaped Formula One for years. Any future Ford F1 program would represent a major strategic shift and would require formal announcements from the company.
Summary
Ford does not currently field a Formula One team. Its most recent F1 involvement was through Jaguar Racing (2000–2004), which was sold to Red Bull and rebranded in 2005. Since then, Ford has not announced plans to return as a factory entrant, and Formula One continues without a Ford-backed works team as of 2025.
