One year after its formal introduction into international motorsports, the Ford Mustang GT3 secured its first international win in the 2025 Rolex 24. But it wasn’t an easy journey getting to Victory Lane. In fact, the Mustang GT3 teams had to battle through a series of mechanical issues and competitive disadvantages to finally get ahead.
Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch, and Dennis Olsen – the three drivers who shared the Rolex-winning No. 65 Ford Mustang GT3 – were recently interviewed by Road & Track. They agreed that Ford Performance has been pouring countless hours of work into making the Mustang GT3 competitor, and that it ultimately paid off.
Ford initially struggled with things like torque sensor issues, which created a power disparity among the Ford racers, especially while cornering. Parts were also physically falling off the race cars at inopportune moments, forcing The Blue Oval to reevaluate its program. But late last season, things finally started going their way.
“The preparation in general was really, really good this year,” said Vervisch. “We had a very good test in November [during the offseason], and team structure and everything has worked extremely well. I think Ford Performance did a great job on the torque sensor, which is new for everyone.”
He added, “There was that one year experience in WEC, but other brands had more experience in GTP. I think, in that respect, they did a really good job. Still, we can improve. Overall, it’s a much stronger package, and obviously we learned from last year, so that’s one year more development.”
While on-track speed is critical, Vervisch said he feels that the Ford Mustang GT3 teammates are working well together, having learned lessons from their first season in 2024.
“I think what made us win as well was that we worked as a team, with both cars, 64 and 65,” he said. “For me, this is also a victory for them. I think no other team helped each other as much as we did. That’s key, and that’s also key for the rest of the season.”
No Comments yet