Campbell’s career has been the subject of speculation after Porsche pulled out of WEC and his IMSA program was reduced to endurance events.
Now his long-rumoured manufacturer switch has been set in stone.
It ends a relationship with the Weissach manufacturer dating back to 2014 when he raced in what is now known as Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge with McElrea Racing.
Campbell formalised his relationship with Porsche in 2017 as a junior before climbing to factory status.
“These last 10 years have simply been the most memorable and fun period of my life,” Campbell said.
“Going from junior driver to young professional driver and finally to Porsche factory driver, racing in the biggest events in the world, is a dream I’ve had since I joined the brand.
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“I still have a few important events left with Porsche, and I really hope to be able to compete in them and achieve some great results,”
Campbell was announced at Ford alongside fellow grand touring and sports car stars Nick Yelloly and Tom Blomqvist.
Yelloly has won the world’s biggest GT3 endurance races at Spa and the Nurburgring while Blomqvist is a Daytona winner and IMSA champion.
They complete the Ford line-up, which includes ex-Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant, Mike Rockenfeller, and Sebastian Priaulx.
“I’m extremely excited and proud to be joining Ford Racing for their new Hypercar program,” Campbell said.
“Ford has a longstanding history of success in top levels of motorsport and at Le Mans, which is something I am also chasing, and I believe Ford is the right place to achieve that goal together.
“We have a lot of laps to turn later this year, but the work has already started and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
Ford has built its as-yet-unnamed Hypercar to the LMDh regulations, making it eligible for the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship.
The car will be powered by a 5.4-litre, naturally-aspirated V8.
Ford’s new Hypercar stands atop its racing ladder above the Mustang GT3, Mustang GT4, and Mustang Dark Horse R.
“At Ford Racing, competition runs through our veins, and as ‘America’s Race Team’, it is only right that we carry the banner ourselves,” said Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook.
“With the additions of Matt, Nick and Tom alongside Logan, Rocky and Seb, we have finalized a driver lineup capable of winning races.
“We aren’t just returning to Le Mans to participate – we are returning to fight for overall victory, and this complete roster gives us the perfect foundation to achieve that goal.”
Testing of the Ford Hypercar will begin in earnest in August across Europe.
Ford said testing would focus on performance, reliability, hybrid system integration, and aerodynamic validation to simulate the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“The development phase with our 5.4L V8 is already showing great promise on the dyno in Dearborn, where we’ve been pushing the limits of its performance and durability,” Ford Racing WEC Hypercar program manager Dan Sayers said.
“Having Matt, Nick and Tom onboard early is a massive boost. Their combined feedback in the simulator and during our upcoming testing phases across Europe will be vital as we transition from the virtual world to the track.
“They all have a proven track record of extracting performance from brand-new platforms and providing the precise technical feedback needed to refine our in-house developed control systems.”
Driver line-ups will be announced in due course.
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