Ford Performance is gearing up for its return to the F1 scene, supplying engine tech to Red Bull Racing (RBR) through its partnership with the longstanding team set to kick off in 2026. It hasn’t been an easy journey by any means, but The Blue Oval sees it as a way to improve the technology that makes it to its street-legal vehicles. To that end, Ford Performance head Mark Rushbrook says that the partnership with RBR will only be beneficial if F1 continues to utilize electrification.
Speaking with Motorsport, Rushbrook said that key milestones in the engine’s development are being met. New regulations are being enacted in 2026, meaning all teams have had to overhaul their engine programs to conform to the new guidelines. Right now, electrification is a major part of said regulations – but there have been rumblings around the garage area that it might not be long-term. And that, Rushbook said, might be a dealbreaker for Ford Performance.
“Yes. For Ford Motor Company, we believe there should be some form of electrification in there,” Rushbrook told Motorsport. “That’s part of what attracted us to the 2026 rules. It’s all about that balance between the ICE (internal combustion engine) and electrification. Does it need to be 50-50? No, not necessarily.”
He added, “As long as we have the opportunity to contribute, to learn and to bring knowledge to our road cars, then that’s ideally what we’re looking for.”
Rushbrook represented Ford Performance in recent talks with F1 regarding the sport’s future. He says that while V8 and V10 engines were floated as a possibility, it’s too early to tell if the sport will gravitate toward them.
“There’s been a lot of discussion, but it’s too simplistic to just say V10 or V8,” he said. “There are so many ways to implement something like that. You really have to get into the details to see whether something can work or not.”
For now, Ford Performance is fully committed to RBR and F1, ramping up production of its power units. In fact, the entire project has proved more complicated than the development of the Ford Mustang GT3 race car.
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