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Ford Motor Company said today that Ford Performance is now rebranded to Ford Racing. William Clay ‘Will’ Ford III son of executive chair William Clay “Bill” Ford Jr. is the general manger. The move comes during a period of intense change at the upper levels of Motorsport in Formula 1, endurance racing or the World Endurance Championship, and various international and national forms of sports car racing where Ford Motor in the past has had considerable success. This could be a rite pf passage for Will moving him out of the protective family environment into bare-knuckled competitive realms.*
“This is not a marketing exercise. This is a promise. It signals a new, more focused mission to tear down the wall between our race teams and the engineering of the vehicles you drive every day on and off road. Under one global Ford Racing banner, our engineers and designers will develop our performance road cars right alongside our race cars. The technology that survives the Baja 1000 will be in the DNA of the next F-150 Raptor. The aerodynamic lessons we learn at Daytona and Le Mans will be sculpted into the body of the next Mustang,” said Will Ford.
“This is a direct line from the track to your driveway, and it starts now. The first production vehicle born from this new Ford Racing mindset will debut this January. This is about more than just the machines. It’s about the experience. Our racing schools and the Bronco Off-Roadeo are not side projects; they are a core part of our mission. They are where we prove that the capabilities we engineer on the track and on the trail are real, and where we share that excitement directly with you. (Read AutoInformed.com on: Bring Your Own Bronco Optional at Off-Roadeo)*
“Starting today, you will see our new identity roll out. The full force of Ford Racing will be unleashed in January when we kick off the new season at the Dakar Rally, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and our own Season Launch event. Make no mistake: We are competing at the highest levels across the globe—from Formula 1 to the World Rally Championship, from Le Mans to Bathurst. And we are going there with a single purpose. We don’t just go to races. We go to win,” said Will Ford.
*AutoInformed on
- Formula One – Bottas and Perez to Drive for Cadillac
- Mattias Ekström Joins Ford Performance for 2025 Dakar Rally
- Ford Performance Parts, Packages – Mustang, Bronco, Ranger
- Ford Performance Shows Mustang Cobra Jet Electric Dragster
- Ford to Return to Le Mans in 2027
- Milestones – F1, Can Am and Le Mans Winner Jacky Ickx
- Alpine, Audi, Ferrari, Honda, Red Bull Ford, Mercedes-AMG are V6 Power Unit Suppliers for Formula One in 2026
- Mustang GTD Laps Nürburgring in under Seven Minutes
- Mustang GTD – Street Legal 800 Hp Starting at $300,000
- Elena Ford and William Clay Ford III in New Roles at Ford Motor
To all the Ford team members around the world, hey! I hope you’ve all had a great summer (or winter for us Aussies) and are excited for the rest of 2025.
I wanted to write you all a quick note to coincide with some exciting news. While my racing days are behind me, my love for anything with wheels will always remain high, and for that I am proud to be partnering with Ford to become a Global Ford Racing Ambassador. I am going to be working closely with the Ford Racing team and specifically focus on the amazing Raptor brand and lifestyle that Raptor has become for many of Ford’s customers.
So why now, and why me? When I decided it was time to retire, I thought long and hard about finding the most authentic way to stay connected to the world of motorsports. For me, racing was always about having fun. It made me happy and created memories that will last a lifetime.
I was thinking back to my core memories with Ford. First, when I purchased a Raptor back in 2017 before I even owned a home in the US. Priorities, am I right? Then, shortly after Ford announced it was partnering with Oracle Red Bull Racing, I came over to Dearborn and met senior leaders like Jim Farley (we had a ton of fun and a lot of laughs) but also had the chance to peek behind the curtain and see what was happening within your design department. Damn impressive. I then visited the team in Cologne later that summer and had a great time meeting employees, watching a live crash test, and answering questions in a Town Hall.
Throughout all these occasions, Ford and its employees’ passion for motorsports was very apparent. But what excites me most is how you all continue to find ways of having fun while innovating. Ford has built a proper business around motorsport and is using it to bring new technologies to your road cars. And nothing brings that to life better than the beloved Raptor.
Taking my bias for “American-made” and deep love for trucks out of the equation, Raptor is becoming a global powerhouse. I’m one of thousands of happy customers. Some of my favorite memories are road tripping behind the wheel of my Raptor, and I can’t wait to add to my existing Raptor ownership, plus meet the customers who are equally passionate about their vehicles.
I couldn’t be more excited for all the amazing drives ahead with Ford and for all the incredible projects Ford Racing has in its pipeline. From F1 to Dakar and from Le Mans to Bathurst, few companies have been at this for as long as you guys have. From what I have seen, we have an incredible future ahead, and I am so proud to be joining the team.
So, here’s to the fun, the laughs, and the memories that lie ahead. – Daniel
[ Daniel Ricciardo is now a Global Ford Racing Ambassador as of 5 September 2025 – AutoCrat]