Ford introduced on Friday its return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2027 within the premier Hypercar class with a prototype which is able to compete within the World Auto Endurance Championship (WEC).
In a press release, the American producer, which gained the legendary occasion 4 years in a row from 1966 to 1969, mentioned it hoped to “recapture the magic and success of Ford racing almost 60 years in the past”.
Ford already made a profitable return to the race in 2016 within the LMGTE (Grand Touring Endurance) class, beating Ferrari, because it did in 1966.
“There isn’t a observe or race meaning extra to our historical past than Le Mans,” mentioned Invoice Ford, government chairman of the producer primarily based close to Detroit, Michigan.
“It’s the place we took on Ferrari and gained within the Sixties. It’s the place we returned 50 years later and shocked the world and beat Ferrari once more.”
The nice-grandson of Henry Ford, founding father of the American model, added: “I’m thrilled that we’re going again to Le Mans and competing on the highest stage of endurance racing. We’re able to as soon as once more problem the world, and ‘go like hell!'”
The announcement confirms the rising attractiveness of the Hypercar class which already has eight producers for the 2025 season — Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota — and in 2026 will welcome the South Korean marque Hyundai, through its premium Genesis model.
Ford has elevated its sporting programmes in recent times and can notably make its return to Components One 1 in 2026 as an engine associate for the Pink Bull and RB groups.
The American producer additionally made its first look on the Dakar Rally in 2024 with Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom ending third.
nb/bsp/gj
