Ford has confirmed the identities of the final three factory drivers that will make up its two-car line-up in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s top-tier next year, as the ‘Blue Oval’ returns to the discipline’s highest level for the first time in almost six decades.
It was announced back in January that Logan Sargeant, Mike Rockenfeller and Sebastian Priaulx would all form part of Ford’s nascent Hypercar project, and now, the American manufacturer has announced that they will be joined by Matt Campbell, Tom Blomqvist and Nick Yelloly.
The Hypercar programme is the flagship element of the newly-unified Ford Racing organisation, and Ford Racing Global Director, Mark Rushbrook, is confident that each of the new recruits will contribute significantly to the company’s bid to reclaim its place at the pinnacle of international endurance racing.
“At Ford Racing, competition runs through our veins, and as America’s Race Team, it is only right that we carry the banner ourselves,” he explained. “With the additions of Matt, Nick and Tom alongside Logan, Rocky and Seb, we have finalised a driver line-up capable of winning races. We aren’t just returning to participate – we are returning to fight for overall victory, and this complete roster gives us the perfect foundation to achieve that goal.”
Campbell, Blomqvist and Yelloly all arrive with impressive career CVs and strong prior pedigree in the sport, bringing with them a combination of championship-winning experience, prototype expertise and raw speed.
“I’m extremely excited and proud to be joining Ford Racing’s new Hypercar programme,” enthused Australian ace Campbell, two times a title-holder in IMSA competition – once overall and once in-class – and a Hypercar winner in FIA WEC at COTA last September.
“Ford has a longstanding history of success at the top levels of motorsport and at Le Mans, which is something I’m also chasing, and I believe this is the right place to achieve that goal together. We have a lot of laps to turn later this year, but the work has already started and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
Indeed, Ford’s comprehensive track testing schedule is set to begin this August at various circuits throughout Europe, focusing upon performance, reliability, hybrid system integration and aerodynamic validation in conditions aimed at simulating the rigours of FIA WEC and its biggest race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Former IMSA champion Blomqvist – twice an outright winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona and a multiple podium-finisher in-class in FIA WEC – is eager to get behind the wheel and begin leveraging his breadth of experience across prototypes, GTs and single-seaters.
“Joining Ford Racing at the start of such an ambitious programme is an incredibly exciting opportunity,” the 32-year-old acknowledged. “To be part of the project from the outset, help shape its development and work towards the shared goal of bringing Ford back to the top step of the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is very special. Ford’s heritage in endurance racing speaks for itself, and I’m proud to represent the brand as we begin this exciting new chapter together.”
Fellow Brit Yelloly boasts a stellar résumé in elite 24-hour endurance events, having prevailed in-class at both at Le Mans and Germany’s Nürburgring, and overall at Spa-Francorchamps. The IMSA GTP race-winner’s extensive background as a Formula 1 simulator and development driver will add invaluable technical depth to the project.
“I’m super-excited to be joining Ford Racing for its Hypercar programme,” Yelloly commented. “Being part of the line-up bringing back the legendary ‘Blue Oval’ to Le Mans is a big honour and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I’m itching to get going with the whole team and can’t wait to get this show on the road!”
The Ford Hypercar features a chassis developed in partnership with ORECA and will be powered by a 5.4-litre, naturally-aspirated ‘Coyote’ V8 engine, designed and built in-house at the company’s base in Michigan. This powerplant serves as a direct link to Ford’s production performance vehicles, accelerating the transfer of technology between the racetrack and the road.
“The engine’s development phase is already showing great promise on the dyno in Dearborn, where we’ve been pushing the limits of its performance and durability,” revealed Ford Racing FIA WEC Hypercar Programme Manager, Dan Sayers. “Having Matt, Nick and Tom on-board early is a massive boost. Their combined feedback in the simulator and during our upcoming testing across Europe will be vital as we transition from the virtual world to the track.
“They all have a proven record of extracting performance from brand new platforms and providing the precise technical feedback needed to refine our in-house developed control systems.”
Additional details regarding the final driver pairings and the car’s official name will be released at a later date.
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