Former Audi engineer Gade among new Ford Hypercar project hires

Ford Racing has announced three key appointments for its 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar program with an ORECA-based, V8-powered LMDh.

Le Mans-winning race engineer Leena Gade is perhaps the most high-profile signing of the trio. She previously worked with Multimatic on the Mazda DPi program and prior to that won three editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours overall (becoming the first female engineer to do so) with Audi Sport. She will work as a race engineer with the team.

In addition, Grant Clarke has joined as its trackside engineering manager. He moves over from an engineering role with NEOM McLaren Electric Racing in Formula E. He brings significant sports car racing experience to the party, having worked with Prodrive and TF Sport in the past.

Jean-Philippe Sarrazin, previously at Porsche Penske Motorsport, is also now on board for the Hypercar effort as a race engineer. He played a key role in helping PPM clinch the 2024 drivers' championship with the 963.

"To compete at the top level of endurance racing, you need the best minds in the business," says Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Racing. "Bringing in individuals of the caliber of Grant, Leena and Jean-Philippe shows exactly how serious we are. We aren't just showing up to the grid; we are building a world-class organization capable of winning the world’s toughest races."