The modest background figure who helped realise Ford’s first F1 success
As Ford announces its Formula 1 comeback with Red Bull for 2026, MAURICE HAMILTON looks at the lessons the blue oval can learn from its own up-and-down history in F1. From democratising the formula with a reliable, affordable engine to lending tacit support to struggling teams and ensuring key drivers got in the right seats, Ford’s influence was far-reaching for decades – until it tried to run its own team…
‘Any Other Business’. This item at the bottom of an agenda usually signals important matters have been discussed and the meeting is drawing to a close. It’s almost an afterthought. Such a moment of potential minutiae at a Ford committee meeting in the spring of 1966 would actually herald one of the most far-reaching decisions ever made by a major motor manufacturer.
The chairman of the policy committee within Ford of Britain was initially taken aback when he turned to Any Other Business and heard Walter Hayes, the director of public affairs, say he would like Ford to “do a Grand Prix engine”. It may have been delivered as if a casual aside, like suggesting a staff discount for Ford Cortina wing mirrors, but the proposal was born of relevant and knowledgeable discussion among key players alert to a major motor racing opportunity. The subsequent boardroom discussion – surprisingly short given the subject’s significance – would lead to the creation of the Ford Cosworth DFV, the most successful grand prix engine ever made.
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