My bet is it is a holdover from the sudden unintended acceleration/floor mat entanglement fears 20 years or so ago. Having the brake further away and sticking out probably slightly reduces the chances you’d hit the gas and the brake (even though modern electronically controlled engines can obviously be made to cut out if somebody hits both pedals hard at once).I agree. The brake pedal is almost a inch closer as well. Ever notice that in a stick shift car, the pedals are evenly lined up? I don't know why Ford doesn't do that.