Ford is the third most successful engine manufacturer of Formula 1 behind Ferrari and Mercedes – 2026 the Americans return to the premier class of motorsport and support Red Bull Racing in the construction of the new drive. But before this connection was lashed, Ford also thought about buying an F1 team, as sports director Mark Rushbrook now unveiled.
In the coming year, a eleventh team will enter Formula 1 with General Motors subsidiary Cadillac. The engines will initially move into Cadillac from Ferrari. In addition to the Haas racing team, the USA already have two domestic teams in the premier class of motorsport. And if it had gone to Ford, then it could have been three.
Because as Ford sports director Rushbrook unveiled in conversation with “Motorsport.com”, the US car company in the recent past was thinking about buying a Formula 1 racing team.
“Before we had this deal with Red Bull, we had some discussions,” said Rushbrook, who now helps Ford Red Bull Powertrains to develop and complete the new drive for the 2026 F1 season.
“Some Formula 1 teams have approached us and we also approach them, because we wanted to understand the chances and opportunities to get back into this sport,” said the Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsport to the portal.
Formula 1: Ford boss praises connection to Red Bull
Then he revealed: “We even thought about it and said: ‘Okay, should we buy a team ourselves?'” But the thoughts were rejected, because the experience from the past showed that “this is not our core competence” .
“Yes, we are active in motorsport, but we have no team anywhere. We always work with partners, be it Dick Johnson Racing in Australia,” Rushbrook referred to the Supercar division, “Penske in Nascar, Bob Tasca in NHRA or M-Sport in rallying, ”continued the Ford sports director.
The entry as an engine partner for Red Bull is now “the right way” in Formula 1 for his company.
“This option allows us to work with what we believe in the best team in the series. We go well together,” said Rushbrook. In the end, however, there were also rumors that the new Red Bull engine does not yet hold what it should promise.