Ford says Verstappen exit won't alter F1 plans

Ford says its Formula 1 commitment to Red Bull for 2026 will stand even if Max Verstappen leaves, with Ford Performance boss Mark Rushbrook making clear the manufacturer backed the team rather than any one driver.

Rushbrook said Ford's decision was rooted in Red Bull's wider identity as it prepares to enter F1 alongside the team's new power-unit project under the 2026 rules reset. Red Bull is developing its own engine for that era, with Ford contributing in areas including electrification technology and software.

"We came to Formula 1 to be in Formula 1 and we chose Red Bull because of who they are as a team, as a culture, not any single individual," Rushbrook said. "We would hate to see him leave, but that wouldn't change our commitment to the sport."

That stance matters because Verstappen's future has come under increasing scrutiny as the four-time world champion has voiced concerns about the direction of F1, including the new 2026 cars, the technical regulations and the engine rules that will shape the next era.

Rushbrook's reassurance also comes at a time of wider uncertainty around Red Bull after a series of high-profile departures. Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Gianpiero Lambiase have all been part of the recent churn around the team.

He acknowledged that kind of movement inevitably raises questions about Red Bull's trajectory, but said it does not alter Ford's long-term view. "There's always some concern when you see somebody leaving," Rushbrook said. "So it's not that it's not important, but you react to those things, just like anything else in racing, or even in life. When things happen, it's all about how you react to them and stay strong."

For Ford, the key point is that its 2026 entry is tied to the new rules era and to Red Bull's overall structure, not to whether Verstappen remains at the center of it.