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Ford vs Ferrari: The Greatest Motorsport Rivalry returns to F1 & WEC!

Motorsport’s most iconic rivalry is back as Ford announced their return to Formula 1 and Endurance racing championships. Ford will be joining Red Bull racing in the 2026 season.

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Venkatakrishnan
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Ford Vs Ferrari F1 will be from 2026 season where Lewis Hamilton will battle against Max verstappen

Ford Vs Ferrari F1 Photograph: (Instagram)

In sports, some of the greatest rivalries have been passed down from generation to generation, such as Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Argentina vs. Brazil, India vs. Pakistan, and Australia vs. England. But do you know? Even in Motorsport, there have been some great rivalries between teams. One of the greatest and oldest rivalries in racing will return in the 2026 season.

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Ford vs Ferrari, The two-time Oscar award-winning movie released in 2019 tells the story of the rivalry and historic battle between the two biggest Autogiants in the world. But why are we talking about that now? It is because the iconic rivalry will resume in 2026. But this time, we can see them racing in Formula 1 and the WEC (World Endurance Championship). 

History of Ford vs Ferrari Rivalry

Ford vs Ferrari rivalry History starts at the 1966 24h Le Mans racing
Ford vs Ferrari rivalry History Photograph: (X)

In the 1960s, Ferrari dominated the WEC championships for many years but went bankrupt. The American auto giant, Ford Motor Company, is going through a rough patch of declining sales. So it decided to buy the Italian sports car brand to boost its sales and brand value. But Ferrari plays the double game and joins another Italian automaker, the FIAT group. Henry Ford 2 wanted to teach the Italians a lesson, so he decided to compete in the 24-hour endurance race at LeMans and won for four consecutive years from 1966 to 1969 by beating Ferrari.

Ford Returns to Racing

After many years out of the competition, the American carmaker decided to enter global motorsports again and this time they chose both Formula 1 and World Endurance championships. Formula 1 will have a big transformation in 2026 with new engine regulations. Ford saw that as a big opportunity to enter the sport as an engine manufacturer for Red Bull racing. The Austrian brand was also looking for a new engine partner as Honda announced their exit in 2021. The two big giants joined hands and will compete for the ultimate racing title from the 2026 season.

Ford also announced their entry into the WEC racing from the 2027 season in the LmDH hypercar category. It is the top category where they will be racing against big giants like Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, Aston Martin, Genesis, and Cadillac, etc. With this, the oldest rivalry in Motorsport history is back and we are happy to welcome Ford back to racing.

F1 will have the biggest impact.

Ford vs Ferrari rivalry in F1 will be between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstsappen
Ford vs Ferrari rivalry F1 Photograph: (x)

Ford’s biggest impact will be in Formula 1, as they will partner the reigning world champions Red Bull with the best driver on the grid, Max Verstappen. On the other hand, Ferrari will have the 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton onboard and the two were already one of the biggest rivals in F1 history. Things will get spicy when Verstappen drives a Ford-powered Red Bull car against Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari. Will Max Verstappen be the Ken Miles who can bring Ford their glory? Let us wait till the 2026 F1 season. 

Also Read: Top 10 Highest paid Formula 1 Drivers in 2025—Lewis Hamilton is not Number 1

Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton Max Verstappen Ferrari F1 24 Hours of Le Mans Ford
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