Ford executive reveals whether Verstappen will race with V10 engines in the future

In a conversation with Motorsport.nl, Rushbrook began by addressing what attracted the American company to partner with Red Bull for the upcoming F1 season. “At Ford Motor Company, we believe there must be some form of electrification. That's also what partly drew us to the 2026 regulations. It's about the balance between the internal combustion engine and electrification. Should that balance be fifty-fifty? Not necessarily,” said the American.

He further explained that the automaker is mainly interested in learning as much as possible about hybrid powertrains. Ford's aim is to apply the technologies developed in the pinnacle of motorsport to their production cars.

The current V6 engines leave much to be desired in terms of sound. Earlier this season, there was talk of making Formula 1 fuel more sustainable in combination with a possible return of the screaming V10 engines. Read here more about this meeting.

However, Rushbrook is not entirely convinced about this possibility. He said: “There has been a lot of talk, but it's too easy to just say V10 or V8 off the cuff. There are so many ways you can do this. That's why you really need to get into the details to see if something can work well or not.”

Moreover, Ford's American executive suggested that the development of V10 engines might not entirely fit with Ford Motor Company's policy. If this were to happen, it would be a plan for the long term, according to Rushbrook. When asked whether Ford is investing in a long collaboration with Verstappen and Red Bull, he replied: “That is indeed our intention.”