Ford to return to World Rally Championship as full factory team in 2028

Ford Racing will return to the FIA World Rally Championship as a full factory-backed team from 2028, with an all-new WRC car set to make its competitive debut one year later.

The Blue Oval announced its renewed commitment to rallying at the WRC’s season-closing Rally Italy Sardinia on Thursday, confirming that its long-standing partnership with UK-based M-Sport will form the basis of an expanded factory program in rallying’s top tier.

Ford currently provides limited support to M-Sport’s WRC program, but 2028 will be its first full-factory program since 2012 (pictured above: Jari-Matti Latvala’s 2012 Rally GB win in a Fiesta RS WRC was the last for Ford’s factory program). Ford Racing will become directly involved in M-Sport’s ’28 WRC campaign before the pair introduce an entirely new car for the 2029 season, taking inspiration from one of Ford’s upcoming European passenger vehicles.

The announcement represents a significant commitment to the championship as WRC prepares to enter a new technical era, with new, more cost-effective regulations coming into force from 2027.

Sardinia marks the last outing for M-Sport’s Ford Puma Rally1 machine. For 2027, M-Sport is developing a Rally2 WRC kit for its existing, second-tier Ford Fiesta Rally2 to compete at the WRC’s top level until the arrival of 2029’s all-new car.  

M-Sport makes its final WRC start with the Puma Rally1 in Sardinia this weekend. The program currently receives limited support from Ford, but that all changes in 2028.

Ford also plans to use its WRC program to help develop its next generation of European road cars, with lessons from rallying feeding into a new portfolio of electric and hybrid models.

“We are delighted to welcome Ford back as a full factory team and look forward to this new chapter together,” said WRC Promoter CEO Eric Boullier. “Ford’s decision to return to the FIA World Rally Championship as a full factory team is fantastic news. The brand has an extraordinary history in rallying and has been part of some of the sport’s most memorable moments.

“More importantly, this renewed commitment to WRC, as part of its extensive global motorsport program, is a strong statement about the relevance of rallying to one of the world’s leading automotive brands. Seeing WRC support both its racing ambitions and the development of future road cars is particularly exciting.”

Ford and M-Sport share one of the championship’s longest-running partnerships, stretching back to 1997. Together they have campaigned generations of Ford machinery including the Focus, Fiesta and, most recently, the Puma. M-Sport also builds and runs Ford’s Raptor T1+ entries in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. 

M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson described Ford’s WRC announcement as an important moment for both his organization and the championship.

“From my early rallying days, Ford has been front and center of both my racing career and my business,” said Wilson. “This announcement is such an exciting one for M-Sport, but also for the sport of rallying. Ford is in many ways synonymous with rallying and it feels like it is back where it belongs.”

Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Racing, said that heritage remained a major factor behind the manufacturer’s decision to strengthen its involvement in a sport where its achievements already include two drivers’ world championships, four manufacturers’ titles and 82 rally wins across factory and privateer programs.

“As we celebrate 125 years of Ford Racing, our 50-year legacy in the WRC stands out as one of our proudest because of its direct connection to the fun and exciting cars that came from that,” he said. “We can’t wait to compete again in rally racing in 2028 and beyond.”

Ford’s expanded rally program forms part of a broad global motorsports strategy for the U.S. automotive giant which also includes Formula 1, the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship and a return to the top category of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027.

• Catch WRC action from all rounds of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship on RACER Network and the RACER+ App. Tune in on Monday, Oct. 5 at 9.00pm ET for full highlights from Rally Italy Sardinia.  
• RACER Network is also your home for the WRC Magazine show, with new episodes landing on the Thursday before every WRC event. Get up to speed for the Rally Italy Sardinia title-decider at 7.30pm ET on Thursday, Oct. 1.   
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