Ford versus Ferrari is set for a 21st-century revival. The Blue Oval is the latest automaker to join the stampede of factory top-class endurance racing efforts. Ford announced Thursday night that it will build an LMDh prototype to compete in the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ford will organize a factory team to compete in the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship as part of the effort. Beyond those few details, not much is known, but other aspects of the project can be inferred based on Ford’s existing partnerships. Every LMDh entry must be built around an LMP2 prototype chassis from one of four approved suppliers. Ford hasn’t stated who will supply its top-class effort, but Multimatic is an approved supplier. Canadian engineering firm built the most recent iteration of the Ford GT and the current Mustang GT3 racing car. Ford executive chair Bill Ford said in a statement:
“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!’”
It is difficult to remember when the top class of endurance racing was this crowded. There are more factory efforts across LMH and GTP than teams in Formula 1. Assuming the seemingly unlikely scenario that no one quits by then, 12 different factory prototypes will compete in 2027: Acura, Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ford, Ferrari, Genesis, Porsche, Lamborghini, Porsche and Toyota.
A few people are scratching their heads about the 2027 start date because the 2026 edition of the French endurance race will mark the 60th anniversary of Ford’s first overall victory at Le Mans over Ferrari. However, the Blue Oval might not want the weight of the occasion to add unnecessary pressure to its debut, especially when Ferrari has won the last two 24 Hours of Le Mans.