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Ford is preparing to step into the top tier of endurance racing and has been candid about discussing driver options with high-profile talent. The company’s racing director has confirmed that there are ongoing conversations with Max Verstappen about potential appearances in Ford’s forthcoming LMDh prototype for the World Endurance Championship. Those exchanges are exploratory by nature: they map opportunities and constraints rather than announce commitments, reflecting the complex logistics of pairing a current Formula 1 star with an endurance campaign.
Ford already competes in multiple series: beyond its partnership in Formula 1 powertrains with Red Bull Racing, it runs customer entries with the Mustang in GT3 competition. The manufacturer plans to enter the top endurance category from 2027 with an LMDh prototype, and the project is moving toward on-track validation. Conversations with drivers such as Max Verstappen are part of program planning, but they remain subject to timetables, contractual commitments and the realities of a busy racing calendar.
Program status and Ford’s endurance ambitions
The program is being built with an emphasis on bringing a competitive Hypercar to the grid, combining technical development with strategic driver choices. Ford has described the effort as a multi-year undertaking focused on delivering a capable prototype for overall victories at marquee events. While Ford’s GT3 Mustangs represent the brand in customer racing, the move into the top class requires a concentrated factory approach: engineering a new LMDh package, conducting a thorough test programme, and assembling a driver roster that can support both development and race performance.
Testing and validation are priorities. The car is scheduled to begin on-track trials in the near future as engineers gather data and iterate set-up and aerodynamics. That phase will shape how the team approaches driver involvement: some drivers will be employed primarily for development laps, others for race duties, and a few — depending on availability and interest — could be invited for single-event entries that bolster public profile and on-track performance. All of this must align with broader commitments, particularly those of drivers already contracted to full-time series.
Discussions with Max Verstappen
Scope and tone of the talks
Ford’s motorsport head has made it clear the brand admires Max Verstappen for both his on-track achievements and his off-track professionalism. The exchanges are described as regular and positive, exploring what a crossover into sportscars might look like. Conversations cover practical topics — such as the kind of race roles that would suit Verstappen and the ways his involvement could support car development — rather than firm offers. In short, the dialogue is about possibilities, not contracts.
Timing and contractual limits
Any appearance by Max Verstappen in a Ford Hypercar is limited by his existing commitments. He remains tied to his current Formula 1 team contract through the end of 2028, which places clear constraints on availability for endurance events that clash with the F1 calendar. Ford’s representatives underline that these scheduling realities mean there is nothing confirmed for the immediate future: the focus is on identifying windows where participation could be feasible without compromising primary responsibilities.
What Verstappen would bring to the programme
Ford sees clear value in having a driver of Verstappen’s caliber involved, even if only sporadically. Beyond raw speed, the manufacturer highlights his capacity to deliver highly detailed feedback during long stints — feedback that complements telemetry and allows engineers to refine both performance and drivability. Anecdotes from shakedowns and test sessions emphasise how a top-tier driver’s insights can accelerate development: the qualitative input from cockpit experience often pinpoints adjustments that raw data alone cannot. For a complex LMDh project, that combination of data and driver intuition is particularly prized.
Where things stand now
To summarize, Ford is preparing an LMDh entry for the World Endurance Championship and is actively planning its driver line-ups and test schedule. Conversations with Max Verstappen have taken place and will continue, but they are exploratory and bound by existing F1 commitments and programme timetables. The door remains open for a collaboration that could range from simulator work and development laps to a high-profile race cameo, but any participation will hinge on mutual agreement, calendar availability and the strategic priorities of all parties.