- Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull does not affect Ford’s F1 plans.
- Rushbrook points to Red Bull culture, not drivers, as the reason for partnership.
- Senior departures, including Lambiase’s, have not rattled Ford’s confidence.
Ford Racing chief Mark Rushbrook has made clear that the American manufacturer’s return to Formula 1 is not built around Max Verstappen.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Rushbrook said Ford chose Red Bull for who the team is, not for any single individual within the team. That position holds firm even as questions grow about Verstappen’s long-term future at the Milton Keynes outfit.
Ford came back to F1 in 2026, roughly 20 years after it sold the Jaguar Racing team to Red Bull before the 2005 season. The return was a deliberate strategic call, not a reaction to any particular personality or moment in the sport.
The philosophy behind Ford’s return to F1
Rushbrook explained that Ford’s approach in motorsport is consistent: find the best available team in a given series and join forces with them.
Red Bull earned that partnership on the strength of its culture and track record.
“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,” he told Motorsport.com.
That framework matters because it sets the floor for Ford’s commitment. Verstappen’s presence in the car is a bonus, not a condition.
“We love Max, we love the fact that he’s racing in a Red Bull Ford powered vehicle,” Rushbrook said. “We would hate to see him leave, but that wouldn’t change our commitment to the sport.”
Verstappen’s future casts a long shadow
Verstappen has given the paddock reason to wonder what comes next. Since the start of the 2026 season, he has spoken openly about “life choices” while raising concerns about the new technical regulations.
After Red Bull’s improved performance in Miami, he said his views on the rules had not shifted, as he believes the current engine formula is fundamentally flawed.
He also tried to settle some of the speculation himself. In an interview with Swiss outlet Blick, the four-time world champion said he had a contract with Red Bull until 2028 and intended to honour it.
He ruled out a team change at that point. But performance clauses and the possibility of a full exit from the sport have kept the conversation alive in the paddock.
Red Bull under pressure from all sides
Verstappen is not the only source of uncertainty at Red Bull. The team has lost several senior figures in recent years, including Adrian Newey, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
The latest departure is Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s long-serving race engineer and the team’s head of racing, who will join McLaren in 2028.
Rushbrook acknowledged the concern that comes with watching key people leave. “There’s always some concern when you see somebody leaving. ‘Why are they leaving? What does it actually mean to the team?'” he said.
He added that Ford’s response is the same as it would be to any difficulty in racing: assess it, react well and stay strong. He also confirmed Red Bull had briefed Ford directly about Lambiase’s departure before the news became public.
On the wider question of Red Bull’s ability to hold together through so much change, Rushbrook pointed to last season. The team entered 2025, written off by many observers, but pushed the championship to the final stages.
That history informed his reading of the current moment. Despite a difficult start to 2026 on the chassis and aerodynamic side, Rushbrook described Ford as “energised” rather than worried.
Ford’s deal with Red Bull runs until at least 2030. The manufacturer has committed all available resources to the programme.
Early power unit results have shown genuine promise, and even Verstappen acknowledged the team was making progress in understanding both the new formula and the new engine.
The question of whether Verstappen sees out his contract remains open. For Ford, it is a question worth watching, but not one that changes the answer.
