Ford's Performance Rebrand Might Make You Forget About All The Recalls

2 months, 3 weeks ago - 9 September 2025, Carbuzz

Ford is celebrating its 125 years of racing history. It dates that history back to Henry Ford’s 1901 Sweepstakes race win, which led to the creation of the Ford Motor Company. The brand is commemorating that milestone with a name change that will be a blast from the past for many. Ford is rebranding the Ford Performance division as Ford Racing. Again.

Ford Performance Is Becoming Ford Racing
According to Ford, the change takes place immediately. Of course, anyone over the age of 10 knows that Ford Racing is not a new name for Ford. Ford formed “Ford Performance” by merging Ford Racing, Ford Team RS, and Special Vehicle Team into one entity back in 2014. The Racing font is different, and back in the day it was red instead of blue. But still ... Ford Racing is back.

The entity formerly known as Ford Performance is a multifaceted entity. It encompasses all of Ford’s motorsports endeavors, from wild, track-focused electric car concepts to competitions like NASCAR, Le Mans, and events such as the Baja 1000 and the Dakar Rally.

However, Ford Racing extends far beyond motorsports. It also includes high-performance road vehicles, such as the Ford Mustang GTD, Explorer ST, F-150 Raptor, Bronco Raptor, and Ranger Raptor. It produces Ford's wild electric racing concepts. It also houses a performance parts division, which includes big-ticket items like V8 crate engines, handling packages for Mustangs, or simple Ford Performance air filter. Sorry, guess that's a Ford Racing air filter now.

Why Ford Is Rebranding Ford Performance As Ford Racing
According to Ford Racing’s General Manager, Will Ford, the name change is “so much more than a simple rebranding exercise.” He called it a “wholesale reintroduction of our racing brand.” Not coincidentally, Ford’s racing brand is about to get much more prominent billing.

Ford is rejoining Formula 1 as an engine supplier in 2026, partnering with Red Bull Powertrains to provide engines when the sport institutes its new engine regulations. Going racing, particularly in Formula 1, is expensive for automakers. They need to justify that expense.

The primary justifications automakers typically provide for spending money on racing are marketing exposure and technological innovations trickling down to the on-road product (consider how many Mercedes-AMG cars have “F1-derived” technology). And that appears to be where Ford is heading with this name change.

“Our new Ford Racing organization will bring our road and race operations closer than ever before. Under one global leader, our super-talented engineers, designers and aerodynamicists will find innovative solutions for the track and bring them to our road products – and vice versa. All this is being done to bring the best products, technologies, and experiences to our customers."

The Ford Performance name captured the breadth of what the division does within Ford. But Ford Racing should focus attention on what will be a key new endeavor: battling Ferrari, Mercedes, and crosstown rival Cadillac at the pinnacle of world motorsport. And if Red Bull sticks to its current on-track trajectory with the new regulation changes, the name change should head off potential "Ford performance" jokes.

"This name change re-emphasizes our core mission, our racing heritage, and simplifies our branding back to our competitive roots," Will Ford said. "It reminds people of why we race – to infuse the technological innovation and passion we derive from racing, and winning, into the products that our customers can drive every day."