Ford open to dramatic F1 engine change

Ford boss Mark Rushbrook has admitted the American manufacturer would be open to a return to V8 engines in the near future.

With the new cycle of power unit regulations now in place, discussions have already begun over what future engine rules may look like, with the next formula potentially arriving as early as 2030.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem recently told select media, including RacingNews365, that V8 engines powered by sustainable fuels could feature in the next regulation cycle.

It is a prospect Ford is open to as it considers a long-term commitment to the sport following its return in partnership with Red Bull this year.

It's a prospect that Ford is open to as it eyes a long-term committment to the sport following its return with Red Bull this year.

“It would [appeal to us],” Rushbrook told Autosport. 

“What we've seen in the way that Ford approaches our vehicles, especially in recent years as the standards and requirements for passenger cars have become much more regional, is that we have full combustion engines, hybrids of different architectures, different balance of ICE versus electric, and full electric.

“We need to be prepared to offer those in different markets around the world, so we have a full library of that.”

Ford joined Red Bull to assist with the construction of its power unit battery, as it originally planned to scale down its production of combustion engine-powered road cars.

But having since reversed on that decision, it has opened up more possibilities for its F1 future and what it wants to see.  

“That gives us a lot of different options as we go racing in different series, including Formula 1,” he said. 

“We can still make the racing relevant to what we design, develop, sell to our customers. We love the V8 idea because we have a lot of V8s that we sell. 

“We love an electrification element to it as well, because we have a lot of hybrid vehicles.

“And whether it's 50-50, 60-40 or 90-10, we're still going to be learning about that integration of combustion and electric. 

“We're very open to that, also to help with the racing on the track. And again, it wouldn't change our approach or our commitment. We're happy with the discussions for the future.”