Heads Up Ferrari, Ford Returns to Le Mans in 2027

Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn is returning to the top tier of prototype sports car racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2027, looking to recapture the magic and success of Ford racing nearly 60 years ago. The WEC series includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.
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Ford Motor Co. is returning to the top tier of prototype sports car racing, the hypercar class, in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027. // Image courtesy of FIA

Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn is returning to the top tier of prototype sports car racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2027, looking to recapture the magic and success of Ford racing nearly 60 years ago. The WEC series includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.

Ford Performance says it will field a full factory team with an LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hypercar) car, the top level of FIA WEC racing.

Between 1966 and 1969, Ford captured four consecutive overall victories at Le Mans, France. Since that time, Ford has focused on class victories — 2016 with the Ford GT in the GTLM class and last year with the Ford Mustang GT3 in the GT3 category.

“We are entering a new era for performance and racing at Ford,” says Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford Motor Co. “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.’”

Le Mans Prototype racers have a closed cockpit and no minimum production is required, unlike the lower classes. They cars are designed to compete at Le Mans, and in the European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series, and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. They are developed for racing only and comply with FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Autpmobile)rules.

“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,” says Frédéric Lequien, CEO of WEC. “To have at least 10 major automotive brands committed to the series’ top-tier in 2027 is testament to the championship’s stellar momentum and growth.”

Pierre Fillon, president of Automobile Club de l’Ouest, says: “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. 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.”

The automaker says additional details on Ford’s return to the top tier of Le Mans will be released at a later date.