Triple Eight switching to Ford from 2026

Reigning Supercars champion team Triple Eight Race Engineering has confirmed it will field Ford Mustangs from 2026.

In a blockbuster Supercars story, Triple Eight and Ford revealed they will rejoin forces, 15 years after the championship-winning squad defected from the Blue Oval to General Motors.

The news was confirmed on Friday, less than three weeks before the beginning of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship. Triple Eight will continue to compete as Red Bull Ampol Racing.

Renders and a real-life livery of Red Bull Ampol Ford Mustang Supercars have also been revealed, giving fans an early look of what to expect when the 2026 season gets underway.

Additionally, Triple Eight has also been nominated to become Ford’s homologation team in Supercars, subject to ratification by a majority vote of Ford's Supercars teams.

The dominant team of Supercars of the last 15 years, Triple Eight returns to Ford, having begun life in the championship in 2003 with the famous brand.

As a Ford team, Triple Eight claimed the driver-team championship double in 2008, won another drivers’ title in 2009, and three straight Bathurst 1000s between 2006 and 2008.

Midway through 2009, in the most significant manufacturer move in Supercars history — until now — Triple Eight dropped a bombshell when it announced it would swap Ford for Holden from 2010.

Between 2010 and 2024 with GM, Triple Eight won seven of its record 10 Bathurst 1000s, nine drivers’ championships and 11 of its record 12 teams’ championships.

It’s the latest big-team switch in Supercars in recent years, following Walkinshaw Andretti United, formerly the Holden Racing Team, opting to move from GM to Ford for the first season of Gen3.

Last year, Toyota announced its sensational entry into the 2026 championship, selecting WAU as its homologation team.

In a statement, GM shared its "disappointment" over the decision, and set about chasing more success with the team in 2025. Supercars, meanwhile, confirmed it will now work with GM on plans for 2026 and beyond.

Triple Eight Team Principal Jamie Whincup, who won the 2008 and 2009 titles in Triple Eight Falcons, said the partnership is a "huge strategic commitment.”

"Triple Eight’s success is first and foremost down to our people and a relentless, shared desire to win that has set us up for this partnership,” Whincup said.

“Our return to the Blue Oval isn't just about winning; it's about that feeling of shared purpose and determination that’s backed up by an exciting road car portfolio.

“What excites me most about our future together is the commitment Ford is demonstrating to our sport, to Triple Eight and to all Supercars fans through this long-term partnership. This is a huge strategic commitment that we are very proud to share.

“We’re very excited to be a part of the Ford Performance ecosystem and the potential opportunities this partnership will present.”

Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance Global Director, said: "We've always admired Triple Eight's unwavering commitment to excellence. Their engineering prowess and tireless pursuit of victory are almost incomparable.

"But more than that, there's a shared history, a bond forged in the fires of competition, that makes this partnership feel so right. This is about looking forward, about building a future together, and conquering new challenges."

Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia President and CEO, added: "This partnership is about delivering an unforgettable experience for our fans, and is a statement of our commitment to Australian motorsport.

"This is also a demonstration of Ford’s motorsport ambition, which is stronger than ever.”

2024 champion Will Brown and Broc Feeney are both under contract with Triple Eight into 2026.

Tickets to the Sydney 500 - Opening Round, on February 21-23, are on now.