FORD RACING’S ENTRANCE TO HYPERCAR CLASS
Ford Racing has revealed new information about its upcoming entry into the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class, announcing the first three drivers who will take the wheel of one of the two prototype contenders set to debut in 2027. The manufacturer also confirmed that the cars will feature a naturally aspirated V8 power unit.
Ford’s latest round of announcements came during its Season Launch celebration in Detroit, just a short drive from the company’s longtime base in Dearborn.
It was already known that Ford’s new Hypercar would use a chassis made by the French company ORECA. Now we also know the car will have a 5.4‑liter V8 engine with no turbo. For the first time ever, Ford will make this engine themselves, helped by Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
The car uses the same base as the Mustang LMGT3 featuring a hybrid system. With this setup, Ford’s car will be one of only three Hypercars in 2027 that doesn’t use a turbo engine, along with Cadillac and Aston Martin.
Dan Sayers, who runs Ford’s Hypercar program, said that the team made a promise last year to come back to top-level endurance racing. Now they are only one year from being ready to race. He said it’s very hard to build a whole new car in just two years, but that’s how Ford likes to work.
Ford Racing confirmed three drivers at its Season Launch event: Sebastian Priaulx, Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller, and Logan Sargeant. All three are factory drivers for the brand. The team chose them to have a good mix of young energy and experienced talent as they prepare to face tough Hypercar competitors.
Priaulx, a rising star, and Rockenfeller, a long-time endurance racer, already drive for Ford. They raced together in the 2025 IMSA GTD Pro class with Multimatic Motorsports, driving the Mustang. They won races in Detroit and Indianapolis, which helped them finish third overall in the championship.
Before the 2027 season, the pair will race together in the European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 class later this year. Logan Sargeant, who used to compete in Formula 1 and has recently tried sportscar racing, made a strong impression when he tested Proton Competition’s Mustang in Bahrain last November.
In 2026, both Priaulx and Sargeant will also drive for Proton’s LMGT3 team. Priaulx will share the #77 car with fellow Brit Ben Tuck and American driver Eric Powell. Sargeant will race in the #88 car with Italian teammates Giammarco Levorato and Stefano Gattuso.
Dan Sayers said that each driver brings something special: “Seb is full of natural talent, Rocky has the experience and knowledge from years of racing, and Logan adds technical skill and familiarity with high-downforce cars. He joked that the three aren’t just racers, they’re “scientists too.”
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