Not good sports: How corporate interference and boardroom attitudes stifled Ford's F1 dream

Earlier in 2023, Red Bull Racing and Ford announced the Blue Oval's return to Formula 1.

Ford, the famed American automaker, will partner with Red Bull in 2026 as the team's new technical partner, assisting the champion team as they navigate the continued perils of electrification and hybridization.

It's a winning combination for the two entities but also allows Ford to dabble in F1, they very sport it left in 2004, again.

Ford is no stranger to F1, having been an engine supplier with Cosworth when it still owed the engine maker, and between 2000 and 2004 with its Jaguar sub-brand.

Needless to say, Jaguar's F1 stay was short-lived, with Ford cutting ties with the sport altogether.

What went wrong for Ford?

Nineteen years on from Ford and Jaguar's departure from F1, one can only assume that the Detroit-based company learned from their mistakes in the early 2000s and that they are open-minded about the demands of F1.

This is a bold statement to make, but we need to understand the context behind it.

When Ford bought the Stewart team in June 1999, they wanted to make a good impression on the 2000 season - especially after Stewart finished the '99 season fourth in the Constructors' standings behind Ferrari, McLaren, and Jordan.

Ford's goal was clear: go one better in 2000 with Jaguar and aim for at least one win.

Sadly, it did not go to plan. Jaguar, now the old Stewart team, dropped from fourth to ninth by the end of the 2000 season. In 2001, they rose to eighth and finished seventh in the next three seasons before exiting the sport in 2004.

Former employees, including the late Niki Lauda, spoke about Ford's approach to F1 operations with a corporate attitude and not treating it as a motorsport entity.

"Jaguar had potential, but