FANS are convinced Max Verstappen will make a stunning career switch after an iconic motorsport team announced a major update.
On Friday morning it was announced Ford would be returning to the field in the World Endurance Championship.
ReutersFord have announced they are returning to Endurance racing with the aim of winning Le Mans in 2027[/caption]
GettyFans are convinced the move could see Max Verstappen switch motorsport disciplines to race in it[/caption]
GettyVerstappen has admitted he wants to try other racing disciplines[/caption]
The statement revealed Ford would be joining the Hyperclass type of cars in 2027.
This comes one year after Ford begin their new technical partnership with Red Bull that will see them develop a next-gen Formula One power unit for Red Bull Racing and sister team VCARB from 2026.
Ford’s return to F1 came following a 20-year hiatus, while Ford’s latest move into Endurance Racing will see them compete in races like Le Mans for the first time in 60 years.
The company dominated Le Mans in the late 1960s in a fierce rivalry with Ferrari, who have won the last two events and are the third-most successful team overall behind Porsche and Audi.
Fans have been left convinced this move will ultimately facilitate an incredible change of career for four-time F1 world champion Verstappen.
Speculating on social media, one fan said: “I wonder if this move of Ford’s to return to #WEC will be Red Bull-backed and that gives Max Verstappen an exit strategy which keeps affiliated with both brands whilst also doing something he’s longed to do?
“If they can’t have him in #F1, at least have him in endurance.”
A second said: “Red Bull will have a Ford partnership in 2027. Just saying, Max Verstappen is out there.”
A third added: “Hoooo boy. Imagine if Ford got Verstappen to drive for them (Ford and RB engine connect) and [Lewis] Hamilton drives for Ferrari WEC program.”
It would be a real fever dream for fans to see the two most successful F1 drivers of the last decade facing off once again on the back of one of motorsport’s most well-known rivalries in one of its most famous races.
Verstappen has openly flirted with the prospect of switching motorsport disciplines, suggesting he was eager to race at the Daytona International Speedway one day.
Speaking last November, he said: “I know that I want to do it in the future anyway, but it’s just about finding the time.
“With such a busy F1 schedule, it’s almost impossible because we finish so late in the season and then to properly prepare where you have to run Daytona or whatever, is pretty impossible.
“I know that when I want to do it, I want to go there and try to win it, be really competitive.
“The only way to do so is by doing some proper testing and get really well prepared, which is not possible at the moment.
“But, who knows? Maybe in a few years’ time. I’ll still be young-ish and I’ll be able to drive the cars.”
F1 2025 grid
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon
Verstappen has raced in the virtual series of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and revealed he had been contacted by “certain people” about racing in it in real life as well.
He said: “Of course, you get contacted by certain people, but it has to come at the right time and in the right way.
“I don’t want to rush into a decision either. With those new cars, I think it will take at least another one or two years before it’s all better understood because at the end of the day, it is still a Balance of Performance story and that makes it difficult.”
The last driver to compete in both Le Mans and F1 in the same season was Nico Hulkenberg in 2015.
In 2023 Verstappen also courted the idea of moving over to motorbikes, saying: “I will race longer, but not in Grand Prix races.
“It would be nice to do it like Valentino Rossi, I like to see his races in GT, a category I have an interest in because we have our own car entered.
“He did everything he could in MotoGP, with a crazy career, and now he’s having fun.
“While still working hard and wanting to win again. I think I will look for something similar in the future.”
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