F1 – Red Bull, Max Verstappen and Ford: a winning trio
Mark Rushbrook believes the partnership between Ford and Red Bull is already delivering encouraging results as the two companies continue building their Formula 1 future together.
Ford embarked on an ambitious journey by returning to Formula 1 in 2026. The American manufacturer entered unfamiliar territory, not only because of the all-new technical regulations but also because it chose to partner with Red Bull Powertrains, effectively a start-up in the world of Formula 1 power units.
The collaboration is a genuine technical partnership. Ford contributes its expertise in battery technology, control systems and advanced manufacturing, while Red Bull brings the experience of a championship-winning Formula 1 organisation that has chosen to develop its own power unit operation in-house.
Speaking to Racer, Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook explained what motivated the company to return to Formula 1.
“For us, it all started in 2022 when we saw how successful Formula 1 had become. The sport’s popularity, the diversity of its fanbase, the 2026 regulations with continued hybrid technology, and Formula 1’s commitment to carbon neutrality all motivated us to get involved.”
Rushbrook went on to outline Ford’s key objectives.
“We want to be involved in motorsport for all the right reasons. One of those is winning important races and championships. Achieving that in Formula 1 is incredibly significant. Innovation and technology transfer represent a huge opportunity to bring what we learn into our production cars. And then there’s the marketing story we can tell.”
He concluded by praising Red Bull as the ideal partner.
“We found the right partner in Red Bull. They’re a fantastic partner, fully committed to Formula 1 and to winning. That’s exactly what we want to do as well.”
The challenges, internal benefits and early results
Formula 1 has pushed Ford well beyond its traditional limits. The championship demands exceptional precision, uncompromising quality control and extremely fast response times, forcing the American manufacturer to improve its production capabilities while adopting a completely different mindset throughout the organisation.
Rushbrook also highlighted some of the practical benefits already being seen.
“Additive manufacturing is already helping us through the machines we have and the components we’re able to produce. Some aspects of the powertrain and certain collaborative technologies will take longer before they find their way into production cars. But beyond the technical knowledge, there’s also the development of our engineers—how they learn to think and operate at such a high pace. Today’s engineers will bring that mindset throughout the organisation, even if they don’t immediately apply the technical knowledge directly.”
After eight race weekends, Ford has already achieved several of the objectives it set when entering the partnership with Red Bull. The Red Bull Ford DM01 power unit demonstrated its potential from the very first pre-season shakedown in Barcelona.
At the season opener in Australia, both customer teams immediately proved competitive, with Isack Hadjar qualifying in an impressive third place.
The target of consistently qualifying in the top half of the grid has been achieved on multiple occasions, including Max Verstappen’s front-row starts in Miami and Monaco. The Red Bull Ford power unit has also been regarded as the strongest on the grid in terms of internal combustion engine performance, further validating the effectiveness of the partnership between the two companies.
Historic milestones and growing confidence
One particularly significant milestone came at the Canadian Grand Prix, the fifth round of the season, where Max Verstappen secured third place to deliver the first Formula 1 podium for a Red Bull Ford power unit. It also marked Ford’s first Formula 1 podium since 2003.
That achievement was surpassed at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen finished second at the Red Bull Ring.
Rushbrook described the impact that success has had within Ford.
“It’s incredible. Seeing it featured on our homepage and watching employees come into work on Monday morning and see the race results—it was something special. Hearing the comments and the support from people throughout Ford headquarters has been emotional. They’re immensely proud.”
He added:
“These early results strengthen our commitment. We want to reach the very top, but we know we’re on the right path, we know we’ve chosen the right partner, and we know we’ll get there.”
The momentum has continued to build over the following Grands Prix. In Monaco, three RBPT-Ford-powered cars finished inside the top seven. At the next race in Barcelona, all four Red Bull Ford-powered entries scored points by finishing inside the top ten, highlighted by Max Verstappen’s fourth-place finish.
That result was improved once again with Verstappen’s runner-up finish at the Red Bull Ring, providing further evidence that the partnership continues to make progress in every area that inspired Ford’s return to Formula 1.
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