The Engine That Took Over F1

In 1967, Ford paid £100,000 for a brand-new V8 it had never seen run. It won its very first race, then went on to win 154 more.

James Pumphrey, Vin Anatra and Zach Redpath dig into how Henry Ford II, Colin Chapman's Lotus and a tiny engine shop called Cosworth built the DFV, and how Ford then sold it to anyone who wanted one. Suddenly small teams could beat the giants, and names like Williams and McLaren got their shot. Plus how that thread runs from Jackie Stewart's team to Jaguar to Red Bull, and Ford's return to F1 in 2026.

You Better Win: The History of Ford Racing, an 8-part series from Ford Racing and Speeed. Next up: NASCAR.

What is You Better Win: The History of Ford Racing?

On paper, racing makes no sense. Grown men pouring their money, their relationships, and occasionally their lives into going around in circles slightly faster than the next guy. Ford has been doing it for over 100 years, on basically every surface on Earth.

You Better Win is an 8-part series on the history of Ford Racing, hosted by James Pumphrey (Speeed/Donut Media), Vin Anatra (Hoonigan), and Zach Redpath (Speeed). Le Mans, NASCAR, the Baja desert, rally stages, drag strips, drifting, and more. We dug through Ford's archives for the long shots, the dumb bets, and the obsessive dudes who built it all, and retold them the way they deserve. This was a fun one. We hope you enjoy! (leave us a review!)

Produced by Speeed in partnership with Ford Racing.