Long-distance testing gets Ford Hypercar off to a fast start

The test program for Ford Racing's new Hypercar is off to a fast start, with the American marque revealing today that it completed more than 1000km in its first multi-day run at Circuit Paul Ricard last week. 

The car hit a number of milestones during a shakedown and three days of track testing, its first extended running since the 5.4-litre Coyote-based V8 engine was fired up at ORECA in early July. The test at Circuit Paul Ricard also marked the beginning of an intensive on-track development program that will span three continents over the coming months ahead of homologation and the car's race debut in the FIA WEC's top class next year.

All six Ford Racing Hypercar drivers attended the test during the week. Logan Sargeant, Matt Campbell, Tom Blomqvist and Mike Rockenfeller took turns behind the wheel, while British drivers Sebastian Priaulx and Nick Yelloly were also onsite to gather feedback and prepare for the next phase of testing. In the next stage of the program, the team undertake a three-day simulator session in North Carolina before heading to Portimão for a test at the beginning of September.

Four further European tests are scheduled at Silverstone, Monza, Imola and Aragon before the project moves to the U.S. at the end of the year. Track running is planned at both Circuit of The Americas and Sebring. Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Racing, said he was thrilled with the progress.

“Getting our Hypercar out on track for the first time at Paul Ricard is a huge moment for the team. Every mile we put on this car brings us closer to Le Mans, and closer to reclaiming our place at the top of endurance racing,” Rushbrook said. "This is only the first step of a long and demanding development road, but the fact that all six of our drivers were on hand, working together and pushing this program forward, tells you everything about the spirit we're building at Ford Racing.”

Dan Sayers, Ford's WEC Hypercar team boss, said reaching Paul Ricard and completing the shakedown and three full days of running was the milestone the team had targeted.

“Everything we did in the buildup – the dyno work in Dearborn, the fire-up in France, the countless hours in the sim – was about making sure that when we rolled out onto track, we were ready to be plug and play,” Sayers said. “There's a long list of milestones still ahead of us before Q1 2027, but these past couple of weeks has given the team a lot of confidence and strong foundations to build on.”

Campbell, who completed the most track time among the drivers, described the test as a smooth start to the program despite some minor teething issues.

“I've been here for the whole test and from my side, it's gone smoothly. I've seen fans online raving about how awesome the sound is, but from inside the cockpit, it's on another level – it's absolutely deafening!” he said.

“I'm genuinely excited for what's ahead with this car. We know there's a long road in front of us, but this has been a really positive start. I've had the most track time out of the drivers, and aside from a few minor teething issues – which you'd expect at the beginning of a new program – everything has gone well. From here, things really ramp up: I'm heading back to the USA for three days of sim work before returning to Europe for the next test."

Sargeant feels the team had made a strong start despite the challenges of beginning a new program.

“Kicking off a new program always takes time – you're figuring out how all the pieces fit together, and we're still working through that,” he noted. "That said, we really hit the ground running. Starting testing from where we did is a huge credit to the team.

"There have already been countless hours poured into this project, including a ton of time in the simulator, so we've had a massive head start. Now it's about making sure everything comes together flawlessly, and that's the next step for us. We can honestly say we've started in the best possible way.”