Ford Racing: Blue Oval rebrands performance and motorsport division

Ford Performance is no more; Ford Racing is back

Ford is bringing back one of its most iconic names in motorsport.

Starting today, Ford Performance will officially be known once again as Ford Racing, marking a renewed and sharpened focus on competition and performance vehicle development.

The Blue Oval says the move is more than just a rebrand; it’s a declaration of intent. Ford says the new identity is a direct connection between its motorsport programs and production vehicles, with a clear mission: to win on the world’s biggest stages and bring that technology to customer vehicles.

“This is not a marketing exercise. This is a promise,” says Will Ford, general manager of Ford Racing. “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.”

Ford Racing will kick off its global relaunch in January 2026, coinciding with three major motorsport events: the Dakar Rally, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and Ford’s own season launch event. From there, Ford Racing is set to compete at the highest levels of motorsport including Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing, the World Rally Championship, Le Mans, Bathurst, and the Baja 1000.

The company also confirmed that the first production vehicle developed under the Ford Racing banner will debut on January 2026. This will serve as a showcase of race-to-road technology transfer.

According to Ford, lessons learned from aerodynamics at Daytona and Le Mans will influence the next-generation Mustang, while durability proven in events like Baja will shape the DNA of the F-150 Raptor.

Ford also emphasized that the transformation goes beyond vehicles. Its racing schools and experiential programs like the Bronco Off-Roadeo will now be considered core parts of its mission, giving customers a direct taste of motorsport-inspired engineering.

For all intents and purposes, Ford Racing is now basically operating in a similar fashion as Toyota with Gazoo Racing.