Ford Wants To Win Le Mans Again In 2027

One of the main driving forces behind the new Hypercar rules that came into effect in the World Endurance Championship a few years ago was a desire to get more manufacturers involved in the sport. Four years on, we’d say it’s job done, because yet another company has confirmed it’s coming back to the top class of endurance racing, and it’s a biggie: Ford.

The company has officially confirmed, after months of will they, won’t they rumours, that it’s entering the World Endurance Championship – of which the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the flagship event – with a full factory team in the top Hypercar class from 2027.

Ford’s been no stranger to Le Mans in recent years, having competed in the GTLM and GT3 classes first with the Ford GT and latterly with the Mustang. It’s not fielded a factory entry in the upper rungs of the race since 1969, though, when it took the fourth of its consecutive string of victories with something called the GT40. You might have heard of it.

Other details about the entry are scant for now, but we know Ford will build its car to the LMDh ruleset. This involves starting with one of four spec chassis to which a manufacturer adds its own powertrain and bodywork, rather than the more bespoke LMH ruleset. The two classes are balanced and run under the same Hypercar umbrella in the WEC.

Ford’s also only confirmed an entry for the World Endurance Championship for now and hasn’t said whether it’ll also run in the North America-based IMSA series, which features the same top class.

Either way, though, Ford’s entry paints an even healthier picture for top-class endurance racing. Assuming nobody pulls out between now and 2027, its Hypercar rivals will include Aston Martin, Porsche, Toyota, Cadillac, BMW, Alpine, Peugeot, Genesis, and most significantly, Ford’s old Le Mans sparring partner, Ferrari.

The company has not been shy about the reignition of that particular rivalry, with Ford’s executive chair, Bill Ford, saying: “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… We are ready to once again challenge the world, and ‘go like hell!’” Hopefully, we’re in for a thrilling enough race for Hollywood to take notice again.