Ford returned to the international endurance racing scene in 2024, debuting the Dark Horse-based Ford Mustang GT3 for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Currently, The Blue Oval only competes in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD Pro) class, but that could soon change, as the automaker is currently weighing returning to the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.
According to a report from Racer, Ford is considering rejoining the highly popular prototype racing division. The automaker is in “advanced conversations” with chassis constructors and has been reaching out to other teams as potential partners. At this time, it’s not clear if The Blue Oval is considering competing exclusively in IMSA, or if it will also join the prototype Hypercar class in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
When asked about potential prototype racing plans, a spokesperson for Ford told Racer, “We can’t comment on any speculation.”
That would make Ford the odd man out in the GTP class, which is populated almost exclusively by luxury brands. Currently, Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini, and Porsche. The WEC Hypercar division includes entries from Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, and Porsche. Previously, Ford’s prototype racing program started with the GT40 program, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, 1967, and 1968.
This revelation is an about-face from Ford’s comments on prototype racing in the past. As recently as 2024, Ford Performance head Mark Rushbrook put his foot down on the prospect, saying that a Hypercar entry would be unlikely to happen. Prototype racing just wasn’t on The Blue Oval’s radar, although Ford Performance has been testing hybrid powertrains – presumably with competition in mind.
Currently, Ford is represented on track in major motorsports leagues like NASCAR, Australian Supercars, and the NHRA. It will join the Formula One grid in 2026 as a power unit supplier in partnership with Red Bull Racing, bringing The Blue Oval before a global audience.
Comment
Depending upon how their relationship is structured with Red Bull, Ford’s work on that hybrid powertrain could certainly provide a great platform for the hybrid powertrain GTP Series. Most of these series in particular the LMP2 category are largely spec series, so the platform may be something that they can sign on for and then just to have to do development work. It’s possible.