When Honda announced in October 2020 that it would end its works Formula One programme after 2021, Red Bull faced the prospect of losing its engine supplier. Rather than adopt a customer supply from another manufacturer, Red Bull GmbH formed Red Bull Powertrains Limited in 2021 and in February of that year signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Honda to take on operational responsibility for the power units from the 2022 season. Honda retained intellectual property rights over the engines and continued to assemble, supply, and provide trackside support, but responsibility for day-to-day operations passed to RBPT.
The company established itself in a 5,000-square-foot facility near the Red Bull Racing chassis department in Milton Keynes. Key personnel were recruited from rival teams: Ben Hodgkinson, former head of mechanical engineering at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, was hired as technical director in April 2021. A further five senior Mercedes engine engineers followed in May 2021, covering roles in production, electronics, energy recovery, combustion design, and engine operations.
In October 2022 Honda and Red Bull announced a strengthening of their collaboration, with Honda committing to maintain full oversight of engine production until the end of 2025 and its branding returning to Red Bull Racing cars from the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix onwards.
The RBPTH001, introduced for 2022, was despite its name developed, produced, and maintained entirely by Honda. It was a derivative of Honda's RA621H unit, modified to accommodate the new E10 ethanol-blend fuels mandated for that season. Changes included revised ignition timing, cylinder pressure settings, and MGU-H calibration, along with crankshaft and cylinder block geometry adjustments and a specialised cylinder wall coating developed by Honda's motorcycle division. The injection system, exhaust, and turbocharger were all optimised for E10 fuel. The unit was heavier than its predecessor but offered greater thermal efficiency despite the reduced energy density of the new fuel blend. The engine development freeze that came into effect in September 2022 meant RBPT did not further develop the Honda units during this period.
An updated RBPTH002 followed for later seasons within the frozen regulations window.
On 4 February 2023, Red Bull Racing and the Ford Motor Company jointly announced a strategic partnership for the 2026 Formula One season, when wholly new power unit regulations would come into force. Ford committed to provide expertise in battery cell and electric motor technology, power unit control software and analytics, and combustion engine development. The company would be renamed Red Bull Ford Powertrains to reflect the collaboration.
In December 2025 the naming was simplified to Red Bull Ford as the partnership prepared to enter competition. Red Bull Ford launched its first bespoke power unit, the DM01, on 15 January 2026. The unit was named in honour of Dietrich Mateschitz, the late founder of Red Bull GmbH, who died in 2022 and who had been closely involved in establishing Red Bull Powertrains before his death. The DM01 represented the culmination of the company's transition from an engine management operation into a full power unit developer and manufacturer, supplying both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls for the 2026 season and beyond.
The formation of Red Bull Powertrains and its evolution into Red Bull Ford Powertrains marked a fundamental shift in Red Bull's position within Formula One. From their 2005 entry as a customer engine team relying successively on Cosworth, Ferrari, Renault, and Honda power, the organisation had by 2026 developed into a fully vertically integrated constructor manufacturing its own chassis, gearbox, and power unit. The Ford partnership brought a major automotive manufacturer back to Formula One as an engine partner for the first time since Ford had divested Jaguar Racing in 2004 — the very team whose purchase had created Red Bull Racing.
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