Ford hail 'landmark' Red Bull Max Verstappen moment

Ford Racing boss Mark Rushbrook has hailed his organisation's first podium in tandem with Red Bull after Max Verstappen finally returned to the top three in a grand prix.

Following a difficult start to the current campaign in light of the major regulations overhaul, Verstappen finished third in Sunday's race in Canada, joining winner in Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton on the podium.

It represented a key milestone in the development of the F1 team, which is competing this year for the first time with its own power unit, assisted in a technical capacity by Ford Racing after what it says 'started in 2022 with a phone call to Red Bull that triggered Ford’s return". 

"Seeing Max secure a first podium of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains era is a landmark moment for our partnership," said Rushbrook.

"It has been fantastic to witness the remarkable effort that has gone into the preparation for the 2026 season, and this result is a well-earned marker of the efforts of both Red Bull Racing and Ford Racing.

"The progress we have seen across the board for all four cars across the Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls teams, powered by Red Bull Ford Powertrains, both in the build-up to and during the season, has been special to witness.

"We cannot wait to see where the rest of the season takes us off the back of today’s milestone."

Verstappen's result was underpinned by team-mate Isack Hadjar finishing fifth to secure his best outing this season since his promotion from Racing Bulls to Red Bull.

Remarkably, it was the first time in two years that a team-mate to Verstappen had finished in the top five in a grand prix. Sergio Perez in the 2024 race in Miami was the last to do so.

The result was also crucial for morale and positivity due to the criticism this season of the new power units, from Verstappen especially, and the cloud hanging over the 28-year-old Dutchman and whether he will continue in F1 next season.