Ford is set to make a triumphant return to the pinnacle of endurance racing in 2027, aiming to secure its first overall victory at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1969.
Ford has officially announced plans to develop a hypercar for entry into the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in two years’ time. This move represents a strategic shift for the American automaker, which currently competes in the GT3 class with the Mustang and previously fielded the GT supercar in the GTE category. The upcoming effort marks Ford’s first serious attempt at an overall Le Mans win in decades.
Ford will compete under the LMDh (Le Mans Daytona Hypercar) regulations, one of two rulesets allowed in the WEC’s top class. The LMDh platform relies more heavily on standardized components compared to the LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) alternative. Key elements include approved chassis from manufacturers like Dallara, Ligier, Oreca, and Multimatic, as well as a rear-axle hybrid system featuring parts from Bosch, WAE, and Xtrac.
The LMDh category already includes competitors such as Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, and Porsche, with Genesis set to join next year. Meanwhile, Ferrari, Peugeot, and Toyota currently race under the LMH rules, with Aston Martin poised to enter the fray with its Valkyrie hypercar.
Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford, emphasized the significance of this return, stating, “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.”
