Ford: Are we going to run away if Verstappen leaves Red Bull?

Verstappen's future with Red Bull Racing has come into the spotlight recently despite the four-time Formula 1 champion having a contract with the team that runs up to 2028.

This uncertainty comes as a result of the recent struggles of the Milton Keynes squad, with Verstappen struggling to defend his title against the might of McLaren, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris spearheading the Papaya campaign.

Questions regarding Red Bull Racing's power unit program and rumors that the first F1 power unit developed in collaboration with Ford might not be competitive in 2026 have added fuel to the fire.

However, Rushbrook is adamant the relationship with Red Bull Racing is not dependent on individuals, as those come and go.

He said: "Everywhere we race, we want to have the best team with the best drivers and the best people. But did we sign the deal for any one person in particular?

"No, because we know that it's a long-term deal and that those people are going to change. We knew that about Christian Horner, about Adrian Newey, about the drivers, and some of them have changed already before we even got on the racetrack.

"Do we want to see Max stay in the Red Bull-Ford for 2026 and beyond? Of course. He's a champion. He's a great person, and he elevates the entire team with him.

"But are we going to run away if Max leaves the team? No. We are committed," Rushbrook insisted.

But when pushed on whether Ford feared the departure of the Dutchman, Rushbrook quipped: "You like to use the word fear, don’t you?

"Again, I wouldn't call it a fear, but we want to take the right actions to make sure that the team with Red Bull Powertrains-Ford continues to win races.

"As I said, all the people in the program are an important part of that. So do you take actions to keep a driver like Max in there?

"You're already taking those actions anyway because you want to win, but do you also keep a pulse on the people? Of course, so I guess the answer is yes [that we’d like to keep him]," Rushbrook concluded.

While Rushbrook's claims on Verstappen are interesting, a bit of his statement seems to have gone unnoticed: the part when he included Horner when talking about individuals that will change...

In light of recent and yet to be confirmed rumors, it would be interesting to know whether Ford know something or Horner's departure was mentioned in the context of the natural evolution of Red Bull Racing...

(Quotes from Motorsport.com)