Mark Rushbrook: Ford love Max Verstappen, we want him in our WEC Hypercar programme

Ford and Red Bull partners for the first year in Formula 1 together, the American company making its first return to the pinnacle of the sport this century after a major role in evolving the sport from the 1960s until the 1990s.

Furthermore, Ford will enter the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar class in 2027 with its new LMDh prototype, marking the brand’s return to the top category of endurance racing. The American manufacturer already competes in WEC with customer Mustang LMGT3 entries, while its Formula 1 return this year came through its partnership with Red Bull Racing.

Verstappen’s growing interest in endurance racing has only intensified speculation about a future Le Mans programme. The Dutchman is set to compete in next week’s Nürburgring 24 Hours in a Mercedes AMG GT3, while repeatedly expressing his desire to race at Le Mans for an outright win.

Speaking to Motorsport.com Netherlands, Rushbrook confirmed Ford has already held discussions with Verstappen about sportscar racing possibilities. “Yes, of course,” said Rushbrook. “We love Max. We love what he does in the Formula 1 car, on the track.

“We love him off the track. He's a great person, as much as he's a great driver. We love his passion to be racing GT3, like he is, and what he does with developing drivers through sim racing and getting them on the track.

“So, of course, we have regular discussions with him about what are the opportunities to do more in sportscar, including Hypercar. He’s a racer. He wants to race," according to Rushbrook, who added that Verstappen himself has shown genuine interest in the idea.

Any serious move into endurance racing remains difficult while Verstappen is tied to Red Bull until the end of 2028. Formula 1 scheduling conflicts continue to block most active F1 drivers from competing at Le Mans.

Rushbrook admitted there are currently no concrete plans in place: “We’re not announcing anything."

Still, Ford believes the possibility cannot be ruled out in future: “He wants to go race Le Mans and race for the overall win, but most years the schedule doesn't allow it, right? While he's a committed Formula 1 driver, most years now it's a conflict.”

“I think we're just talking about what the opportunity is and if and when it makes sense, and everybody wants to do it, then great.”

Ford’s LMDh prototype is expected to begin testing later this year ahead of its 2027 WEC debut, and Rushbrook believes Verstappen’s technical input alone would make him hugely valuable to the programme.

“One of the great things about Max, is drivers like him don't come along that often, in terms of what he accomplishes on track, right?” said Rushbrook. “But it's how he accomplishes it.”

Rushbrook pointed to Verstappen’s feedback during Formula 1 testing in Barcelona as an example of the Dutchman’s extraordinary technical awareness: “Especially this year when we were in Barcelona [F1 shakedown].

"Hearing his feedback on the radio while he's out on track, testing his brand new car, and then he would come back in after doing, depending on the stint, 30, 40, 50 laps.

“The amount of detail that he's able to give feedback to the engineers that is so much more valuable than all the data that the engineers have.

“It's complimentary, it's got to go together. Just the mental capacity and the bandwidth that he has for developing a car, for racing a car, for tuning a car. To have a driver like that in your programme, at some point, even if it's only for one race, is pretty meaningful," concluded Rushbrook.

With Formula 1 on pause again, all eyes will be on, Verstappen’s next GT3 race at the 24 Hours Nürburgring on 14–17 May at the legendary Nordschleife. He will drive a Mercedes AMG GT3 for Verstappen Racing with support from Mercedes AMG and Red Bull.