Automotive giant Ford to join FIA WEC Hypercar grid in 2027
Almost six decades on from its previous participation in the discipline’s top-tier, American automotive giant Ford will make its debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s headlining Hypercar category in 2027, as it bids to recreate past glories.
The news was announced by Ford Motor Company executive chair Bill Ford during Ford Performance’s annual season launch event in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the presence of some 2,000 guests and 50 drivers from Ford’s global motorsport activities.
Hypercar can now be added to the company’s impressive racing portfolio, as it gets set to join Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Genesis, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota in FIA WEC’s premier class in two years’ time – setting the scene for an unprecedented battle for world championship honours.
“We are entering a new era for performance and racing at Ford,” commented Bill Ford. “You can see it from what we’re doing on-road and off-road. When we race, we race to win. And there is no track or race that means more to our history than Le Mans.
“It is where we took on Ferrari and won in the 1960s. It is where we returned 50 years later and shocked the world and beat Ferrari again. I am thrilled that we’re going back to Le Mans and competing at the highest level of endurance racing. We are ready to once again challenge the world, and ‘go like hell!’”
Indeed, Ford’s relationship with the world’s greatest race is enshrined in motorsport legend. After his offer to buy Ferrari was rebuffed at the 11th hour in 1963, Henry Ford II set his sights on ending the Italian manufacturer’s dominance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Against all odds, he succeeded.
Between 1966 and 1969, the Ford GT40 claimed four consecutive overall victories at the grandfather of endurance races, and the marque’s battle with Ferrari proved so famous it went on to inspire a 2019 box office hit movie.
Since the GT40’s stellar run, Ford has focused predominantly on chasing class wins, triumphing in the LMGTE Pro division on the 50th anniversary of its 1966 success in 2016 – on the Ford GT’s maiden appearance at Le Mans – and more recently reaching the rostrum again last year as the Ford Mustang made its La Sarthe bow in LMGT3. The ‘pony car’ then made history for the brand once more earlier this month, clinching GTD Pro glory in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Now, Ford is preparing to up the ante as it returns to the very highest level for the first time in more than half-a-century, with a Ford Performance-led full factory prototype effort in FIA WEC. A decades-old rivalry is about to be reignited...
“Ford has been synonymous with success both on and off-track for decades, and we are delighted that the company has chosen the FIA World Endurance Championship for its latest challenge,” acknowledged series CEO, Frédéric Lequien. “To have at least ten major automotive brands committed to the championship’s top-tier in 2027 is testament to FIA WEC’s stellar momentum and growth.”
“It is wonderful news to welcome Ford back to the top level of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in almost 60 years,” echoed Pierre Fillon, President of race organiser, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). “It is a brand that has always had a close affinity with this very special race, and history shows that Ford does not compete to finish second. The renewal of its famous rivalry with Ferrari is truly an exciting prospect.”
“Ford and endurance racing are a perfect fit, as has been proven time and again,” added FIA Endurance Commission President, Richard Mille. “It is a brand with a long and proud motorsport heritage, and a passion for competition instilled by Henry Ford himself. The company’s return to the highest level of the discipline is further validation of the success and appeal of the current Hypercar regulations. Endurance racing’s golden age is right here, and right now!”
