F1 star Daniel Ricciardo helps Ford drop a bombshell with radical all-new Mustang Mach-E SUV
Do you think Daniel Ricciardo didn’t get on track at the Australian Grand Prix? Think again! How the Aussie F1 star helped Ford drop a bombshell with a radical, all-new Mustang SUV
- The Mustang Mach-E accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds
- Ford’s first all-electric car for Australia
- Addition to famous brand will go on sale this year
One of the biggest stories from last weekend’s Australian F1 Grand Prix was the fact that Daniel Ricciardo wouldn’t spin a wheel on the track out of anger now that he’s Red Bull’s reserve driver – but that was way off the mark.
The local hero did do a few hot laps around Albert Park, but not in the all-conquering RB19 – instead he was behind the wheel of the fearsome Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV.
The Blue Oval’s first all-electric passenger car for the Australian market felt right at home on the straight, as Daily Mail Australia can confirm after driving one of the three vehicles that took to the track just before the Grand Prix.
Ricciardo had a ball as he drove the flagship Mustang Mach-E GT (pictured) around the Albert Park circuit after marveling at its ridiculous pulling power
The Mach-E GT delivers 358 kW and an incredible torque of 860 Newton meters, giving it a Ferrari-like 0-100 km/h time in just 3.7 seconds
With a staggering 358kW, the flagship Mach-E GT hurtles from a standstill to 100km/h in a claimed 3.7 seconds, which is the kind of rare territory usually occupied by supercars like Ferrari and Lamborghini.
No other Ford for sale in Australia will be able to match that figure – including its petrol-powered V8 Mustang cousins.
The other key to that incredible speed is the vehicle’s 860 Newton meters of torque, prompting Ricciardo to say: ‘I don’t even know how much that is – and I still don’t know how much an F1 car makes!’ when the GT was unveiled to a crowd in the Albert Park courtyard.
With acceleration so intense that you feel like you’re being pushed back into your seat by a professional wrestler, the new Mustang made short work of the straights.
It’s an SUV, but not as we know it: the GT has four-wheel drive for incredible traction, magnetic suspension and a striking panoramic sunroof (pictured)
The three-model Mach-E range will go on sale in Australia later this year
Ford’s new SUV features a luxurious interior with a touch screen large enough to double as a TV set in the living room
It doesn’t corner like you’d expect an SUV to do either, thanks to state-of-the-art MagneRide suspension and exceptional brakes – although Daily Mail Australia driver Aussie Formula 3 star Christian Mansell can get some of the credit too.
Inside, the electric Mustang is the opposite of a race car, with all modern conveniences – including a front touchscreen so large it doubles as a television in the living room.
There’s also a huge panoramic sunroof for all three Mach-E models, with the rear-wheel drive Select and Premium joining the all-wheel drive GT in the lineup.
Range is always a big question with electric cars and the Select clocks in at 470km, with the Premium lasting nearly 600km on a charge and the GT – whose focus on performance speeds up its available power – good for 490km .
Ricciardo was on hand for the launch after Ford and Red Bull announced they will be teaming up to develop a next-generation hybrid power unit for use in F1 from the 2026 season.
And he clearly had a ball in the GT on track as he overtook the back of the Daily Mail Australia car and appeared glued to the rear bumper, flashing that famous smile of his as the Mustangs hurtled into the first corner.