Ahead of the launch, media were welcomed to the sixth floor of the iconic Michigan Central Station, which Ford acquired in 2018 and renovated following an investment of more than 900 million dollars in total.

Several rooms were set up for press sessions and interviews, with a tightly managed schedule in place to ensure everything was ready in time for the start of the event on the ground floor, where a large crowd had already gathered in anticipation of the joint presentation.

In that setting, Ford Racing boss Mark Rushbrook spoke with GPblog about the collaboration with Red Bull and the way drivers are involved in the engine project, with Max Verstappen’s role featuring prominently in the discussion.

Rushbrook confirmed that the involvement of the Formula 1 drivers is significant, with the simulator playing a central role in the process: “Yes, for sure,” he answered when asked whether the drivers have already provided a lot of feedback—and how important it is.

The Ford executive stressed that the work goes beyond abstract data, placing particular emphasis on the feedback drivers gain from their experience on track. In the simulator, drivers are able to encounter scenarios that cannot be replicated on the test bench — something Rushbrook says is especially true in Verstappen’s case.

When asked for a concrete example of Verstappen’s feedback that has been important in the development of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine, Rushbrook immediately pointed to a specific aspect: “The biggest part is around the drivability, because a lot of people will talk about, well, who's making the most power? And while that is important, it's also important to be able to actually put the power down in a controlled way as the driver wants to.”

That, according to Rushbrook, is precisely where Verstappen adds value: “That's where Max is great in the simulator to be able to provide that feedback in terms of what he feels. We can't see in the dyno, but he can feel in the simulator”, says the Ford Racing boss about the importance of input from the four-time world champion.

Rushbrook’s words underline how intensively Ford and Red Bull Powertrains are working together toward the new 2026 regulations. It’s not just about power, but also about how that power is deployed by the driver. In that process, Verstappen’s feedback plays a crucial role, according to Ford.