Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has jetted into New York where the energy drink-owned Formula 1 champions are expected to lift the lid on a 2026 works deal with Ford.
Ahead of Red Bull’s 2023 team launch on Friday, the Italian news agency Ansa quoted from an official Ford press release that confirmed the deal.
However, it is believed the document should have been embargoed into later on Friday.
The statement quoted Ford’s executive chairman William Ford as saying the Red Bull arrangement is "the beginning of an exciting new chapter" for the famous US carmaker.
"Ford returns to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing its long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible venues," Ford added.
When asked about the premature media reports, which said Ford and Red Bull Powertrains would collaborate for a new F1 engine for 2026, a Ford spokesman told Austria’s Kurier newspaper: "We do not comment on speculation."