Ford has announced Rafaela Ferreira as its new brand ambassador in Brazil, strengthening the automaker’s alignment with Red Bull and its broader motorsport strategy.
The 20-year-old Brazilian driver competes in the F1 Academy, a women-focused racing series operated under Liberty Media’s Formula 1 ecosystem, and is part of the Red Bull junior program.
As part of the partnership, Ferreira will use a Ford Ranger Raptor for her travel across Brazil, further integrating her public image with the brand’s performance-oriented vehicle lineup.
Ford’s move reflects its growing emphasis on motorsport as a branding platform, alongside its global return to Formula 1 and continued collaboration with Red Bull Racing.
Company executives highlighted the partnership as part of a strategy to support emerging talent and reinforce Ford’s connection to high-performance sport.
Ferreira has already made history in Brazilian motorsport, becoming the first woman to secure a pole position in the Brazilian Kart Championship and later the first female race winner in Fórmula 4 Brasil.
She is currently in her second season in the F1 Academy, balancing racing commitments in Europe with simulator and data work at Red Bull’s UK facility.
The driver joins Ford’s roster of sponsored athletes in Brazil, which includes surfers Italo Ferreira, Yago Dora and Tatiana Weston-Webb, skateboarder Pedro Barros, and motocross rider Fred Kyrillos.
Ferreira described the partnership as a natural fit between her lifestyle and the brand, emphasizing the connection between racing and Ford’s performance identity.