The name Ford has been well-established within the world of 24-hour endurance racing at Le Mans. Especially, in the late 60s and 70s. The epic rivalry between Ford and Ferrari during that era was famously immortalized in the cinematic adaptation, Ford vs Ferrari. The Ford GT 40 went on to win the legendary event four consecutive times, from 1966 to 1969. With its rich history in the sport, it only makes sense for the team to return to the prestigious event, since their last 2016 to 2019 stint with Multimatic Motorsports with the custom-built Ford GT.
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Well, as of recent news, it seems that Ford has decided to return to the prestigious event in the next WEC season. Though, unlike the NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports’ entry of Garage 56, they are looking toward a longer stint. They will bring their iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance.
Furthermore, adding a touch of intrigue to their return announcement for the WEC, Ford’s CEO didn’t miss the opportunity to cheekily comment on Chevrolet’s Garage 56 project with NASCAR, injecting a bit of rivalry in the mix.
Ford to make a grand return in WEC with the Mustang in 2024
Ford has been ramping up its racing operations, with the recent unveiling of their re-entry into Formula 1 as an engine supplier for Red Bull Racing from 2026. Furthermore they also recently announced their new Mustang race car based on the already road legal “Dark Horse” version.
The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.
In March, Ford showcased their new car in its pure carbon fiber avatar. This was during a test session at Sebring. Collaborating with Ford on this project, Multimatic has played a crucial role in the development of the Mustang. Meanwhile, M-Sport assembled the 5.4 litre Coyote V8 engine.
Under the ACO and FIA regulations, each manufacturer is only allowed two cars in the new LMGT3 class for 2024. Proton Competition is set to be the first customer for Ford. They plan to field two Mustang GT3s in the WEC next year, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford also plans to compete in IMSA’s GTD Pro division with a two-car factory team managed by Multimatic, kicking off with the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.
Ford brushes aside NASCAR’s Garage 56 Le Mans entry
Since Ford is planning to enter the WEC once again as a manufacturer, it has nothing to bother with whatever Chevrolet has been up to. They believe that the Garage 56 entry is just a one-time thing and may not see the light of day in the future.
The CEO of Ford, Jim Farley told the press, “They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party. We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.”
Further adding, “So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR. But for me, that’s a science project. I don’t live in a world of science projects, I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56. I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”
The focus of Ford is intriguing, as they seem to overlook Chevy as their primary competitor in the racing arena. Instead, their sights appear set on longstanding endurance racing giants such as Porsche and Ferrari. As we anticipate Ford’s performance in the WEC next year, we can’t help but wonder if they’ll etch another memorable chapter into the annals of the sport.
