Ford is making a big return to the highest level of endurance racing. Starting in 2027, the company will compete for overall victories in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and race in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford confirmed the news at its ‘Season Launch’ event, revealing that it will build and race a new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) car in the Hypercar category.
Details about Ford’s race car remain a secret, as the company has yet to reveal any images or information. We’ll also have to wait to find out more about the team, including who will drive Ford’s top race car. One of the potential drivers could be German Dirk Müller, the man who guided the Ford GT to a class victory at Le Mans in 2016.
This endeavor marks Ford’s first factory-backed top-class prototype effort at Le Mans since 1982. However, Ford-powered cars have competed there before, including models from Riley & Scott and Panoz in the 1990s and early 2000s. Ford has a storied history at Le Mans, famously defeating Ferrari with its GT40 in the 1960s and returning over 50 years later to win the GTE-Pro class with the Ford GT in 2016.
Currently, Ford competes in GT3 racing with the Multimatic-built Mustang, which recently won the GTD Pro class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford expressed excitement about the return, calling it part of a “new era for performance and racing.” He emphasized that Ford races to win and highlighted the brand’s historic victories at Le Mans, saying the company is ready to “challenge the world and ‘go like hell!’”
“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.”
With this announcement, Ford becomes the eighth manufacturer to commit to the LMDh category and will be one of at least ten brands in WEC’s Hypercar class by 2027. Other competitors include Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota, and Aston Martin.
Le Mans organizers and WEC officials welcomed Ford’s return, noting its rich history in the race and its famous rivalry with Ferrari. They also praised the growing competition in the series, which continues to attract major car manufacturers.
