Ford WRC Factory Return
Ford plans a full factory return to the World Rally Championship in 2028 with M-Sport.
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Key Points
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Ford is expected to support M-Sport’s Fiesta campaign in 2027 before taking on full factory-team status in 2028, creating a transition year ahead of the new car’s 2029 debut.
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Ford is the fourth constructor to commit to a car under the WRC27 regulations; those rules cap a ready-to-compete car at €345,000 in asphalt specification.
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Ford’s return continues a 30-year relationship with M-Sport, according to the report.
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The WRC programme is part of Ford’s wider factory motorsport expansion, which the report says will give the company programmes across four FIA World Championships.
Ford will return to the World Rally Championship as a full factory-backed team in 2028, marking its first works campaign since 2012 traveldailymedia. The automaker will partner with longtime collaborator M-Sport to develop an all-new Rally1 car debuting in 2029, built under the WRC's cost-cutting WRC27 regulations and based on an upcoming European-market Ford model.
The 16-year gap in Ford's factory presence highlights a motorsport comeback timed perfectly with the WRC's new technical rules, which cap a ready-to-compete car at €345,000 auto123. Ford says the rally program will prove its next generation of European vehicles, teaching engineers about handling and responsiveness for five planned production models.
A 30-Year Partnership Moves Into Full Factory Mode
Ford and M-Sport have worked together since 1997, but Ford withdrew direct factory status in 2012 fordauthority. M-Sport kept the Ford brand alive in competition, winning WRC titles in 2017 and 2018 as a semi-works operation. Now Ford Racing is stepping back in as a full factory team, handling engineering, powertrain, aerodynamics, and testing resources starting in 2028.
Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Racing, noted the timing aligns with the WRC's new era: "The timing is very opportune as we align with a new era for WRC... smarter rules from the FIA with the 2027-and-beyond regulations." fordauthority A transition year in 2027 will see M-Sport campaign upgraded Ford Fiesta Rally2 cars with renewed corporate support.
Cost Caps Open the Door for Major Manufacturers
The WRC's new WRC27 regulations were designed to attract big automakers back to rallying by slashing budgets. A ready-to-compete Rally1 car in asphalt spec costs no more than €345,000, roughly half the cost under old rules auto123. Ford is the fourth manufacturer to commit to the new ruleset, joining a field that had become dangerously thin.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem called Ford's announcement a "significant moment" validating the championship's new cost-reduction direction fordauthority. Éric Boullier, CEO of WRC Promoter GmbH, echoed the optimism, calling it "fantastic news" and proof that rallying remains relevant to world-leading automotive brands.
Rally Lessons Will Shape Five New European Road Cars
Ford plans to use WRC competition as a proving ground for its next generation of European vehicles. Jim Baumbick, President of Ford Europe, made the company's vision clear: "This is a promise that we want to make to our customers... we want to put the soul and responsiveness and capability of rally into these vehicles." fordauthority
Five multi-energy European models are planned for 2028 and 2029 auto123. Handling and braking dynamics learned on rough gravel and tarmac stages will feed directly into production cars. This race-to-road approach mirrors how successful automakers have used motorsport to elevate their road presence.
WRC Joins Ford's Expanding FIA Motorsport Portfolio
The WRC factory return is part of a broader Ford Racing expansion across multiple FIA World Championships fordauthority. Ford already partners with Red Bull on Formula 1 engine development and will run Hypercars in the World Endurance Championship starting in 2027. Adding WRC gives the brand active factory programs across four major FIA series.
This motorsport diversification signals Ford's commitment to proving its engineering prowess at the highest levels. Each series—from open-wheel racing to gravel rallying to 24-hour endurance—tests different vehicle systems and pushes engineers to innovate under extreme pressure.
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