Verstappen’s Sepang win renews debate over Ford’s last F1 engine victory

It has been a long time since a Ford engine last won in Formula 1. Max Verstappen’s victory at Sepang in 2026 brought that question back into focus, but whether it should be credited to Ford remains open to debate. A clearly identified earlier success came in April 2003, when Giancarlo Fisichella won the Brazilian Grand Prix in a Jordan powered by a Ford-Cosworth RS1 V10.

The distinction at Sepang lies in how the power unit was made. Its internal-combustion engine was built by Red Bull Powertrains, with Ford contributing power-unit expertise and battery technology. Calling it a “Ford engine” victory is therefore debatable; more sceptical observers have described it as “a Red Bull engine with a Ford sticker on it”.

The FIA Sporting Regulations in force at the time stipulated that, if more than 75% of the race distance had been completed, the result would be determined by the leading car’s crossing of the line two laps before the lap on which the stop signal was given. That provision offers context for the discussion surrounding Sepang, but does not by itself settle which manufacturer should be credited with the winning engine.

Red Bull’s history with engine suppliers helps explain the arrangement. The team turned to Honda, first for Toro Rosso and then, from 2019, for Red Bull Racing as well. Verstappen and Honda chiefs celebrated his Formula 1 world title in 2021 as the Japanese manufacturer prepared to leave the series. By the end of the 2020 season, Red Bull faced life without an engine supplier and, after relying on Renault and Honda, had to consider taking matters into its own hands.

In March 2023, Helmut Marko summed up the division of responsibilities: “Even if the team may be called Red Bull Ford or Ford Red Bull, the engine will come solely from Red Bull Powertrains. Ford will be involved in battery technology.” Sepang’s result therefore reflects a partnership, while leaving intact the distinction between the engine’s builder and its technology partner.