People at Ford have developed enormous respect for Verstappen.

      Jim Farley, president and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company, emphasized that Max Verstappen plays a very important role in the American automaker’s collaboration with Red Bull Racing.

      The team’s engine-building arm, Red Bull Powertrains, is developing next‑generation power units together with Ford, and starting in 2026 such engines will be fitted to the cars of Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.

      “I suppose this is one of the most important foundations on which the success of our engine program depends,” Farley said on Sky Sports News. “In talking with Max and watching his performances this year, we at Ford have developed a huge respect for him. In the course of work, when we are all just trying to do our jobs as well as possible, he provides stability without any drama.

      Unlike last year, now I see that determination in his eyes. In my view, one of the main merits of Laurent Mekies and his team is that they all retain a genuine loyalty to one another.”

      Mekies picked up and expanded on Farley’s thought: “Max is not just interested in this or that metric — he does much more. You would be surprised to learn how large his contribution is to projects whose work takes place off the racetrack.

      He tests the car on the simulator, works with engineers, trying to understand how successfully the work on the 2026 cars is progressing. He wants to understand what we are relying on to achieve the required power and the required downforce.

      That is why he is given a central role in our project. Of course, next year he wants a fast car at his disposal, so he is doing everything he can to help us with that.”