Ford desires Max Verstappen behind the wheel of a Mustang outside Formula 1, though the American manufacturer acknowledges that a commercial and racing alignment with the four-time world champion remains complicated by existing contracts and private garage choices.
Red Bull Builds Independent Engine After Honda Departs
Red Bull Racing entered the current Formula 1 season as an independent engine builder following Honda’s departure from the sport. The team developed its own power unit in England with financial backing approved by the corporate leadership in 2022, after former advisor Helmut Marko noted that the ambitious project carried immense costs and required a leap into the unknown without prior manufacturing experience. Prior to the current campaign, expectations dictated that the Red Bull power plant would initially fall short against units built by major established manufacturers such as Mercedes, Ferrari, and Honda. Following that decision, operations in England were established within an extremely brief timeframe.
Within this technical structure, Ford serves as an official motor partner to Red Bull Racing, yet the carmaker supplies only twelve specific components for the RB22 power unit. For the remainder of the arrangement, the Blue Oval acts primarily as a title sponsor that contributes millions of euros for that privilege. Because of this limited manufacturing footprint, Verstappen is not tied intrinsically to Ford through his day-to-day driving habits or personal garage contents. Outside the paddock, the Dutch driver relies on an Audi RSQ8 ABT for daily errands and drives an Aston Martin Valkyrie around Monaco, while a Ford Mustang has yet to appear in his private collection.
Mark Rushbrook Addresses the Driver Lineup Horizon
Mark Rushbrook, Global Director at Ford Racing, spoke about the partnership and the prospect of recruiting the Red Bull star for endurance and GT racing projects. Pointing to the manufacturer’s active presence in the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans with hypercars, Rushbrook acknowledged that bringing in the four-time world champion is an appealing objective.
“We want to have the best drivers, of course,” Rushbrook said in an interview with De Telegraaf. “So for us, it would certainly be interesting, let me put it that way.”
Any potential transition to a Ford race program cannot happen immediately. Verstappen remains under contract to race a Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO in GT competition through the end of 2027, meaning a concerted effort by Ford to secure him for a Mustang GT3 or factory hypercar effort cannot begin until 2028 at the earliest.
Red Bull Engine Shows Strength but Trails Mercedes Hybrid
While Ford evaluates its broader racing association with Verstappen, technical assessments of the Red Bull powertrain continue to draw attention across the paddock. FIA ADUO measurements recently rated the internal combustion engine of the Red Bull-Ford power unit as the strongest of the field.
However, Helmut Marko told Sky Deutschland that the combustion score tells only part of the story. According to Marko, the complete power unit package—which includes the electric motor, battery, and software—leaves Mercedes with a slight overall advantage in the complete hybrid system. Marko also pointed to the chassis as the team’s primary hurdle earlier in the year, noting that the RB22 only reached a race-winning level following upgrades introduced in Baku.
The 2026 World Championship Battle and Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Although Verstappen may have won the last two Grands Prix and Red Bull appears to have returned to form, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is widely expected to claim the world title this season. The 83-year-old from Graz, speaking to Sky Deutschland, reflected on Red Bull’s major decision by noting that logical reasoning dictated they had to proceed despite having no prior experience and facing enormous costs. Marko also observed that while Verstappen and Red Bull have mounted a resurgence, Antonelli possesses the speed required to mount a challenge, noting that Verstappen’s superior experience and tyre management—such as his performance on both tyre compounds in Singapore—currently provide the reigning champion with an edge in race craft that the young Italian is still mastering.
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