From Ford Global:
Ford's return to F1 wasn’t possible without changes to engine rules...
Asked if Ford would have returned had the rules not changed for 2026, Ford global director Mark Rushbrook said: “No, I don’t think we would."
“If it was a carry over power unit without this opportunity, that would have been a step backwards for us.”
“We don't just go racing just as a marketing exercise anywhere. And especially in Formula 1, as the stage that it is, the opportunity to really get that technical learning, it was important for us.
“Without it, we wouldn't have done it.”
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...ules/10427993/