Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Ford is already in regular talks with Max Verstappen about a future move into sports cars, including its planned 2027 World Endurance Championship Hypercar program, even though no deal is in place and Formula 1 scheduling remains the biggest obstacle.
Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance director, told Motorsport.com Netherlands that Verstappen is part of ongoing discussions as Ford builds out its endurance racing plans alongside its new Formula 1 link with Red Bull and Racing Bulls. Ford returned to F1 in 2026 through that partnership and is set to expand its WEC effort from Mustang LMGT3 entries to the top class in 2027.
"Yes, of course," Rushbrook said when asked if Ford had spoken to Verstappen about doing more beyond F1. "We love Max. We love what he does in the Formula 1 car, on the track. We love him off the track. He is a great person, just as he is a great driver."
Rushbrook said Ford’s interest is not only about Verstappen’s results in grand prix racing, but also about his wider racing profile. He pointed to Verstappen’s passion for GT3 racing and his work developing drivers through sim racing, saying Ford has "regular discussions" with him about "the opportunities to do more in sportscar, including Hypercar."
That matters because Verstappen has made no secret of his interest in endurance racing and in eventually competing for outright victory at Le Mans. He is due to race in next week’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring in a Mercedes-AMG GT3, a reminder that while Ford wants him in its future prototype effort, his current sports car outings sit outside the Blue Oval.
Rushbrook made clear that the talks are exploratory rather than advanced. "We’re not announcing anything," he said, adding that there is currently "nothing" planned for the near future.
The main reason is timing. Rushbrook said Verstappen "wants to go race Le Mans and race for the overall win," but that "most years now it’s a conflict" while he remains a full-time Formula 1 driver. He also noted that Le Mans now requires even more preparation time because of the test day on the previous Sunday, meaning a driver would need two Formula 1-free weekends to approach the event professionally.
Even with those limits, Ford sees clear value in keeping the conversation open as its Hypercar project moves toward testing later this year. Rushbrook said Verstappen would be "a major gain" for the program, not just because elite drivers are rare, but because of the quality of his technical feedback.
Recalling an F1 shakedown in Barcelona this year, Rushbrook said he listened to Verstappen’s radio comments while testing a new car, then watched him return after "30, 40, 50 laps." He said the "amount of detail" Verstappen gives engineers is "so much more valuable than all the data that the engineers have."
For Ford, that makes Verstappen more than a star name for a future Le Mans push. As Rushbrook put it, having a driver with that level of mental capacity for development, racing and setup work in the program "at some point, even if it’s only for one race," would be "pretty meaningful" as the manufacturer prepares to enter WEC’s top class in 2027.