Ford has introduced that it’ll compete within the Hypercar division of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2027, which can embrace its first shot at an total 24 Hours of Le Mans victory in 45 years.
The Blue Oval will be part of Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Genesis, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota within the top-tier of worldwide endurance racing, a class that Ford hasn’t featured in because the early Eighties – and never gained in because the Nineteen Sixties.
Ford Efficiency revealed the information as a part of its second annual season launch, held right now in North Carolina.
Particulars of Ford’s new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) prototype racer haven’t been shared as but, with the car in improvement forward of its debut two years from now.
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Ford first entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans again in 1964, debuting the now legendary GT40 race automotive. Up towards fierce competitors from Ferrari, the GT40 quickly grew to become a raging success, happening to assert 4 consecutive outright victories between 1966 and 1969.
The saga was detailed within the hit 2019 Hollywood movie Ford v Ferrari, starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon.
Whereas Ford tried to take outright honours within the French endurance traditional in 1982, the model has had success within the decrease lessons, taking out the LMGTE Professional division in 2016 with the Ford GT – 50 years on from its first triumph.
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Ford gained its class at Le Mans in 2016
The Ford Mustang GT3 additionally secured a podium place within the LMGT3 class eventually 12 months’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, behind entries from Porsche and BMW.
Talking on a seismic day for Ford in motorsport, government chair Invoice Ford expressed his pleasure to chase outright victory at Le Mans as soon as once more.
“We’re getting into a brand new period for efficiency and racing at Ford,” mentioned Mr Ford.
“You possibly can see it from what we’re doing on-road and off-road. After we race, we race to win. And there’s no observe or race which means extra to our historical past than Le Mans.
“It’s the place we took on Ferrari and gained within the Nineteen Sixties. It’s the place we returned 50 years later and shocked the world and beat Ferrari once more.
“I’m thrilled that we’re going again to Le Mans and competing on the highest degree of endurance racing. We’re able to as soon as once more problem the world, and ‘go like hell!’”
Along with the WEC announcement, Ford Efficiency additionally launched a new partnership with Triple Eight Race Engineering in Australia’s Supercars Championship.
After greater than a decade and a half, Triple Eight is coming again to Ford to race the Mustang in Supercars, leaving long-time associate Normal Motors.
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MORE: Supercars shock as Ford reunites with long-time rival Triple Eight
