Ford will enter the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027 with a two-car team, which will include Australia’s Matt Campbell in the driver line-up.
The car is being built in collaboration with chassis manufacturer Oreca, with the milestone moment taking place at its base in France.
Ford Racing Hypercar program manager Dan Sayers hailed the “proud” moment in the brand’s build.
“As I reflect on the journey to this point, I am proud of the groundwork that was laid long before the engine ever turned over in France,” Sayers wrote in a Ford Racing blog.
“The engine’s development phase is already showing great promise on the dynos in Dearborn, where we’ve been pushing the limits of its performance, durability and learning a lot at the same time.
“That dyno work, combined with parallel progress on the chassis side with ORECA, has now converged into a complete package ready for its next phase.
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“The firing of the engine at ORECA is more than a symbolic moment – it’s a critical validation step.
“We are doing everything from an engine perspective in-house and we’re doing that because we can react faster, we can learn faster and we can bring that back to the production side of the business.
“Hearing the Coyote V8 come alive within its intended home for the first time confirmed that months of integration work between the powertrain and chassis teams had paid off.”
Ford’s Hypercar program is well advanced, with on-track testing to begin in August at Paul Ricard before visiting a variety of circuits across Europe.
Sayers said the testing would focus on performance, reliability, hybrid system integration and aerodynamic validation in conditions aimed at simulating racing conditions.
Campbell will be part of that testing and development role.
“Of course it’s early days, and we have a huge amount of work ahead of us, but the sim work and dyno numbers give us a great foundation, but there’s no substitute for what the drivers feel through the wheel and the seat once we’re actually out on track,” said Sayers.
“That feedback loop is what will truly sharpen this car over the upcoming months.”
Built by the team. Headed for the track. Go Like Hell. pic.twitter.com/J07TjQqFLK
— Ford Racing (@FordRacing) July 16, 2026
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