The four-time F1 champion labels front-wheel-drive cars as “anti-driving.”
Red Bull Racing switched to Honda power for the 2019 Formula 1 season, ending a 12-year partnership with Renault. Although Honda officially exited F1 after the 2021 season, the turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 in today’s RB21 still runs on a Honda-developed engine. Over the years, Max Verstappen has appeared in several commercials for Honda road cars, including the Civic Type R.
However, starting in 2026 and continuing through at least 2030, Red Bull will partner with Ford on a new co-developed power unit. The four-time F1 champion is already front and center in a lightly disguised Ford promo. In it, Verstappen rides shotgun in a Ford RS200 with journalist Chris Harris before taking the wheel of the Mustang GTD. During the segment, the Dutch driver doesn’t hold back his disdain for front-wheel drive:
“I think it’s really boring. For me, it’s like anti-driving. I drove sometimes in the simulator. It’s like the worst thing ever.”
Of course, Verstappen hasn’t forgotten he once promoted the very car he’s now indirectly bashing. The Civic Type R, still the fastest front-wheel-drive production car around the Nürburgring, is widely praised as one of the most rewarding FWD cars ever made. Still, it’s easy to see why a driver like Verstappen, who thrives on precision and control, naturally prefers rear-wheel drive.
That preference isn’t just about driving dynamics. The Mustang GTD’s rear-driven V8 plays into Ford’s image—and contractual obligations. Much like when Verstappen promoted a rear-wheel-drive Honda electric city car, calling it “fun to drive” and a “great electric urban vehicle,” endorsements often reflect the business side of the sport.
While fans of the Civic Type R or Golf GTI may bristle at Verstappen’s comments, it all boils down to personal taste. No need for outrage just yet. After all, Ford has its own legacy of performance-oriented front-wheel-drive cars. Though the Fiesta ST is gone and the Focus ST is nearing retirement, one can easily imagine Verstappen tearing up a track in either of them—smiling for the camera in yet another official ad.
