--- title: "Ford CEO Jim Farley Hits Back at Cadillac F1 CEO’s Criticism: ‘It’s Laughable’" date: "2026-01-16" modified: "2026-01-16" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-ceo-jim-farley-hits-back-at-cadillac-f1-ceos-criticism-its-laughable" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" tags: - "Ford" --- # Ford CEO Jim Farley Hits Back at Cadillac F1 CEO’s Criticism: ‘It’s Laughable’ ![]() *\Jerry Perez\* Red Bull pulled the wraps off its 2026 [Formula One]() World Championship livery last night in [Ford]()'s hometown of Detroit. The entire Blue Oval family was present at the renovated Michigan Central Station to witness the dawn of its newest adventure, which will see the company compete in the world's most complex and competitive form of motorsport. But amid all the fanfare, a story published by *[The Athletic]()* earlier in the day brought a little rain on Ford's parade. Dan Towriss, the CEO of the Cadillac F1 Team, was quoted as saying that Ford's partnership with Red Bull F1 was "a marketing deal with very minimal impact, while GM is an equity owner \[in its F1 team\]." He added that the "two deals \[Cadillac and Ford's\] couldn't be more different." During an interview with Ford CEO Jim Farley, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, and Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook, I asked Farley how he felt about Towriss' comments. The displeasure was visible, and the room went quiet. ![]() **Brandon Turkus** "All I will say is, it's laughable. It's not even worth discussing. It doesn't merit a comment," Farley told *The Drive.* Mekies eventually grabbed the baton and elaborated on the extent of the partnership between the two racing powerhouses: "We partnered with someone who has amazing manufacturing capabilities to produce key parts and deliver the quality that Red Bull would not be able to reach. It's all about how fast you are able to bring something to the track, and with Ford, we can develop things much faster. This is only the beginning. We truly feel that this is a people business, and we want to partner with the best people. You gotta look for the best talent, the best engineers, and now we are attached to a company that has 200,000 of the best people available. "We want the best people in the world in each field, because that's what we need if we even want to have any chance to win," added the Red Bull boss. Prior to my interaction with Farley and Mekies, I had spent the day with Ford Racing's leadership to find out just how in-depth the partnership really is. Was it just stickers on a car, or was it a real technical collaboration in which knowledge, hardware, and personnel are shared between Detroit and Milton Keynes? You can read all about it [here](), including the interviews with Red Bull and Ford Racing's powertrain bosses. Surprise, it ain't just stickers on a car. ![3D renders of the new livery for Oracle Red Bull Racing's car for the 2026 Formula 1 season. // Oracle Red Bull Racing / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202601140764 // Usage for editorial use only //]() **Red Bull** It's also worth noting that Towriss's point that GM is an equity owner in the team, and that GM's and Ford's F1 deals are completely different, is accurate. While Cadillac will race in 2026, 2027, and 2028 with a Ferrari engine, GM's powertrain is expected to be ready by 2029, at which point it will become a full works team just like Ferrari and Mercedes. The bit that can now be debunked is that it's merely a "marketing deal with minimal impact." After addressing other questions from the media, Farley circled back to my original question. In fact, he circled back multiple times over roughly 15 minutes, each time highlighting that Ford's commitment to F1 goes beyond marketing. "We've committed to a four-year partnership," added Farley. "This is not our first rodeo in Formula 1. There is a lot of institutional memory at Ford Motor Company, in the pores of the concrete, in the walls. We made our decision with Red Bull, and they made their decision on who to partner with. This is the team we want to be with, this is exactly where we want to be. There is no other dream for us, other than to support Laurent \[Mekies\] and watch Mr. Ford be at the top step of the podium someday. We equally share the humility of being at the beginning of this journey to \[design\] a PU for a top F1 team. ![DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 15: The Oracle Red Bull Racing logo is projected onto the venue during the Red Bull Racing season launch at Michigan Central Station on January 15, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) // Getty Images // SI202601160095 // Usage for editorial use only //]() ![3D renders of the new livery for Oracle Red Bull Racing's car for the 2026 Formula 1 season. // Oracle Red Bull Racing / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202601140767 // Usage for editorial use only //]() "Every time I thought about the problems Ford had to solve to lead the market in aerodynamics, drivetrains, and more, the answer kept coming back: Formula 1, Formula 1, Formula 1. It became obvious that the best people were in Formula 1. And we've discovered this together over the last four years—*emphasis* on four years. This is where we need to be." As our meeting ended and I thanked the trio for their time, Farley looked at me and said, "Words are cheap." *Email the author at jerry@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()