Ford Racing has announced a bold new direction for its motorsport future, confirming it will operate its 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar program entirely in-house. The decision marks a break from the traditional model, where manufacturers often outsource factory race operations to privateer teams, and instead places Ford Racing at the center of development, execution, and innovation as it enters the premier level of global sportscar racing, which includes the fabled 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“At Ford Racing, competition runs through our veins and, as America’s Race Team, it seems only right that we carry the banner ourselves,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Racing. “Keeping with our core values, our Hypercar program will be operated by Ford Racing. This gives us the ability to react more quickly on track, enhancing our competitiveness. It also allows us to bring technology back to our road cars more effectively and efficiently than ever before.”
The program will be led by Dan Sayers, with a clear mandate to build not only a Hypercar but also a complete factory team from the ground up. Ford is recruiting dozens of engineers, technicians, mechanics, and support staff to bring the program to life, with an emphasis on cultivating a team culture “passionate and driven by a need to be the best,” Rushbrook explained.
Technical support will come from trusted partners, including ORECA Motorsport, which will design and develop Ford’s Hypercar chassis, and Venture Engineering, a longtime consultancy providing operational expertise. Together, they bring decades of Le Mans-winning experience to complement Ford’s in-house approach.
“With over 100 Le Mans starts between them, they make the perfect partners to assist Ford Racing in this exciting new endeavor,” Rushbrook added. “While we bring these partners in, we are proud that this is very much a Ford Racing effort. In our ranks, we have the leading minds of motorsports, and we are building… quickly and systematically.”
With global facilities in Dearborn, Charlotte, and the UK – alongside Red Bull Ford Powertrains – Ford Racing says it has unmatched resources to compete at the highest level. “We are not looking outside our walls to find who can run a program for us; we are looking within Ford Racing to build our programs infused with our passion,” Rushbrook added.
Ford’s return to prototype racing builds on its storied Le Mans legacy and aims to shape future road cars with race-bred technology. As Rushbrook concluded, “It is a privilege to be racing as America’s Race Team. After all, there is no one better to carry the Blue Oval into the highest level of international sports car racing than Ford Racing itself.”
Images: Ford
