Ford Hypercar Breaks Cover in First Test

Ford Racing has taken its highly anticipated LMDh prototype out for its first proper track testing sessions at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, France, marking a major milestone in the brand's multi-year journey toward a competitive bid for outright victory at Le Mans. The unnamed race car, which utilizes a chassis built by manufacturer ORECA, features an aggressive aerodynamic package dressed in a blue-and-white camouflage design with prominent 'Ford Racing' lettering.

Beneath the intricate bodywork lies a custom 5.4-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine derived from Ford's Coyote architecture. Built and bench-tested at the company's Dearborn facility before being shipped to Europe, the powerplant couples with a hybrid system to create what trackside observers describe as an aural blend between a stock car and a fighter jet.

A robust roster of works drivers has been entrusted with the development schedule. Matt Campbell and Logan Sargeant handled the initial driving duties at the wheel during the opening sessions at Paul Ricard, with veterans Tom Blomqvist and Mike Rockenfeller slated to step into the cockpit over subsequent days. Additional testing responsibilities ahead of the 2027 racing debut will also fall to Nick Yelloly and Sebastian Priaulx, ensuring a deep pool of feedback as the team prepares to transition from European tracks to facilities in the United States for further fine-tuning.

Aerodynamically, the prototype showcases distinctive design choices that separate it from other ORECA-based competitors. It sports a very low, Ferrari 499P-style nose paired with a raised, contoured splitter and aerodynamic side flicks. The front mudguards feature raised sections above the obscured headlight clusters alongside an airflow tunnel running between the wheel arch and side skirts. At the rear, hollowed-out wheel arches connect to a central body section carrying a horizontal LED light strip, while the bonnet fin bears strong visual similarities to the Porsche 963.

While the current testing phase focuses on establishing reliability and system calibration in Europe, the overarching objective is an intense American development program followed by a calculated entry into top-tier endurance racing. Ford Racing's execution will determine whether the Blue Oval can translate its Dearborn-engineered V8 hybrid package into a dominant force on the global endurance stage.