Ford CEO Jim Farley has branded prior comments from Cadillac counterpart Dan Towriss regarding a potential Formula 1 rivalry between the two brands as “laughable”.
General Motors has new interest in F1 in 2026, with the Cadillac brand making its debut, the team owned by the TWG Motorsports organisation, of which Towriss is CEO.
American rival and fellow automotive giants Ford is making its long-awaited comeback as a powertrain partner with Red Bull, 21 years after it bowed out of the sport, having sold its Jaguar Racing team to the Milton Keynes-based squad.
Naturally, some might like to see the two names pitted together to create an exciting F1 rivalry, but that was rubbished by Towriss, who said late last year that it wasn’t “even close,” adding: “One is a marketing deal with very minimal impact, and GM is an equity owner.”
Ahead of Red Bull’s 2026 livery launch in Detroit on Thursday, Farley was asked about Towriss’ comments, and did not hold back in his assessment.
“All I’m going to say is it’s laughable,” Farley said. “It’s not even worth discussing. It doesn’t merit a comment.”
Given the different nature of their respective involvement in F1, Farley believes that the possibility of a rivalry is not yet reality.
“Not really [considering a rivalry], to be honest,” he added. “Our opportunity is getting up to speed with the PU. But I think Red Bull is a completely different animal than a new team. And so our rivals are the McLarens and the Mercedes and the Ferraris and the whole paddock.
“Rivalries like the Packers and the Bears are earned. And they’re earned through competition over years. And they’re not paid for with money. They’re not invented from corporate strategies. Rivalries are made through battle and take years.
“I don’t think that’s a legitimate rivalry. I think that’s chalk and cheese, as the UK would say. That’s apples and oranges – whatever metaphor you want to use. Great rivalries are earned in the arena. And if you haven’t been in the arena, how could you be a rival?”
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