Ford ‘would love’ Max Verstappen switch after surprise Mercedes GT deal

Ford has admitted it “would prefer” Max Verstappen to drive its own machinery instead of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 car at the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

Verstappen is set to make his debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours this weekend as his burgeoning endurance career steps up a level.

Ford ‘would love’ to tempt Max Verstappen from Mercedes for GT racing

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The Red Bull F1 driver will share driving duties with Jules Gounon, Lucas Auer and Daniel Juncadella in the endurance classic, which will begin at 1500 local time on Saturday.

The four-time world champion will drive a Red Bull-branded Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Nordschleife following a tie up between the German manufacturer and the driver’s Verstappen Racing outfit at the end of last year.

Verstappen’s deal with Mercedes, which is independent of his Formula 1 activities, came despite Red Bull linking up with Ford ahead of the F1 2026 season.

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According to Sportscar365, Ford made a ‘significant push’ to convince Verstappen to race its Mustang GT3 EVO model at the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year, in addition to a deal with Verstappen Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe series.

Ahead of Verstappen’s return to the Nurburgring, Rushbrook has admitted he would “prefer” to see the Dutchman compete in Ford machinery.

Per Sportscar365, he said: “We prefer our Ford drivers to stay in Ford.

“We understand why he did that [the Mercedes deal]. We love his passion. We love what he does for us in Formula 1. We love who he is as a person.

“We love that he’s a racer, whether it’s sim racing or that, it only makes him better.

“That’s the right program for him right now, but obviously we’d love to [have] him in a Ford in the sportscar world.”

Rushbrook’s latest comments come after he revealed that Ford has held talks with Verstappen over a potential future Le Mans 24 Hours appearance.

Ford will enter the hypercar category of the World Endurance Championship in 2027, taking on F1 rivals McLaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Cadillac in the top tier of endurance racing.

Rushbrook said of a potential Verstappen entry at Le Mans: “We would love to see that.

“A lot of things need to align for that to happen, but that would of course be incredible for us, for the sport.”

“Depending on the schedules, it could be during [his F1 career] or both [during and after his F1 stint].

“Discussions go back three-plus years. It’s just looking for the right opportunity with the right programs.”

Rushbrook went on to rule out a 2027 Le Mans appearance for Verstappen, claiming it “would be taking on too much” in Ford’s debut season in the WEC.

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