One Year Out, Ford’s Return Sprint to the Topflight of Le Mans Takes Shape

One year ago, we made a promise to return to the topflight of endurance racing. Today, we are exactly 12 months away from being on the grid. 

In the world of global motorsport, that is a heart-stopping timeframe. To build a Hypercar program from a blank sheet of paper to a Le Mans start line in just two years is, by any objective measure, almost impossible.  

But at Ford Racing, making the impossible possible is the only way we know how to work. We have spent the last year in the trenches, and while the main event is still ahead of us, the soul of this machine is already beginning to roar.

That soul is the engine. It is more than just a component; it is the identity of the car. When you hear a Ford coming down the Mulsanne Straight at three in the morning, you shouldn’t have to look at the badge to know who it is. That is why we chose the Coyote. 

We are powering our Hypercar with a naturally aspirated 5.4-liter V8. When you have an engine this iconic in your arsenal — a powerplant that already defines our Dark Horse R, GT4, and GT3 programs — you don’t look for alternatives. You lean into your DNA. This V8 is a bridge between the legends of 1966 and the future of 2027.  

For the first time in our history, this competition engine is being developed entirely in-house, with our team in Dearborn working hand-in-glove with Red Bull Ford Powertrains to marry high-voltage technology to raw, Detroit-born power.

But a machine this ambitious requires more than just engineering; it requires a specific kind of driver — one who is as much a scientist as they are a racer. We have found them in Sebastian Priaulx, Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller, and Logan Sargeant. 

Seb and Rocky are already part of the Ford family, having proven the Mustang GT3’s mettle with two wins in IMSA last year. Seb is a pure, natural talent; Rocky is the veteran who has seen it all and won it all.  

They are joined by Logan Sargeant, who comes to us fresh from the F1 circuit, bringing a level of technical sophistication and high-downforce experience that is vital for a program of this scale. Having an American back in a Ford at Le Mans feels right. It’s a nod to giants like Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt, who showed the world in 1967 what happens when American grit meets global ambition.

We aren't waiting until 2027 to start fighting, however.  

To prepare for our internally operated race team, Seb and Rocky will be competing in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series in 2026. We are building a team, refining our processes, and earning our stripes in the real world. We are taking the building blocks of this program and stress-testing them under the most demanding conditions on the planet. 

We have the engine. We have the drivers. We have the vision. Being able to pull back the curtain at Season Launch 2026 is a milestone, but the work is far from over. We are building more than just a car; we are building a legacy. We are reclaiming our seat at the top table of endurance racing. 

We are America’s Race Team, and we are coming for the world. 

Dan Sayers is the Ford Racing Hypercar program manager.