Racing
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Ford says a future Formula 1 move back toward V8 power would not undermine its Red Bull partnership, with Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook insisting the manufacturer would be comfortable if the FIA reduces electrification further and eventually adopts a naturally aspirated V8 with only a small electrical element.
Asked whether a return to V8s would be a problem for Ford, Rushbrook told PlanetF1.com at the 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours: “No, honestly.” He added: “I think going to a naturally aspirated V8, to have a small electrical element, is appropriate for the sport. We would be happy with that.”
That stance matters because Ford only returned to F1 this year through its Red Bull Powertrains partnership after backing the current 2026 rules set, which is built around a 1.6-litre V6 hybrid with a near 50/50 split between combustion and electric power. Under that formula, the electrical contribution rose from 120kW to 350kW.
The direction of travel is already shifting. The FIA has revealed an in-principle agreement to move to a 60/40 combustion-electric split in 2027, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has made clear he wants an even bigger change for the next engine cycle. Speaking on Miami Grand Prix weekend, Ben Sulayem said: “In 2031, the FIA will have the power to do it, without any votes from the PUMs.” He added: “I’m targeting 2030. One year before the maturity [of the regulations]. It will happen.”
Rushbrook said Ford can absorb that uncertainty because its wider business is not tied to one type of powertrain. He said Ford’s road-car range still spans pure combustion models, full EVs and several forms of hybrid, which means “we’ve got the opportunity to still have something that’s very relevant for us in Formula 1.” He also pointed to Ford’s involvement in other categories with different technical regulations and said “the direction that it’s heading in Formula 1, it works for us.”
He framed that flexibility as part of a broader view of how the sport should make these calls. Rushbrook said manufacturers and other stakeholders should be able to share their opinions, but added that “somebody needs to make a decision and move the sport in that direction,” with Ford having already explained to the FIA, Formula 1 and rival manufacturers what it wants from the rules.
Ford’s willingness to back multiple outcomes removes a possible point of tension just months into its first F1 campaign since 2004. The Red Bull Ford Powertrains project has already delivered its first podium, with Max Verstappen finishing third in the Canadian Grand Prix, giving Ford an early competitive marker even as the sport debates what its engines should look like by 2030.