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60 Years On – It’s Back to Le Mans

Ford Motor Company is returning to the top tier of prototype sports car racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in 2027 looking to recapture the magic and success of Ford racing nearly 60 years ago.

Ford Performance will lead the charge with a full factory team entering FIA WEC with the aim of once more taking on the sport’s most demanding race – the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Between 1966 and 1969, Ford captured four consecutive overall victories at the grandfather of all endurance sports car races in the city of Le Mans, France. Since that time, Ford has focused on class victories, firstly in 2016 with the Ford GT in GTLM and more recently with the Ford Mustang GT3.

Bill Ford, Ford Motor Company Executive Chair: “We are entering a new era for performance and racing at Ford. 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!’”

Frédéric Lequien, FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) CEO: “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. To have at least ten major automotive brands committed to the series’ top-tier in 2027 is testament to the championship’s stellar momentum and growth.”

Pierre Fillon, Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) President: “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.”

Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President: “Ford and endurance racing are a perfect fit, as has been proven time and again. It is a brand with a long and proud motorsport heritage, and a passion for competition instilled by Henry Ford himself. The company’s return to the highest level of the discipline is further validation of the success and appeal of the current Hypercar regulations. Endurance racing’s golden age is right here, and right now!”

Additional details on Ford’s return will be shared later.

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