Ford returns to World Rally Championship with factory team in 2028
“What we’re intending to do – the mission – is to bring that thrill, that connection that you experience when you see a rally event or vehicles operating in that environment.”
Ford Racing boss Mark Rushbrook concurred, pledging that Ford will “take all of our learnings from our latest off-road innovations and go back to the to WRC to win, but also learn to use that as our proving ground to gain even more insights that we can bring into these rally-bred vehicles that our European customers are going to be able to drive every day”.
Ford will begin working immediately with M-Sport – which currently runs the Ford Puma Rally1 in the series – before becoming “directly involved” with the programme in 2028.
The WRC team will launch a new racer in 2029, taking design inspiration from one of Ford’s new road cars.
The latest set of WRC regulations introduce new flexibility on body style – making saloons, hatchbacks, crossovers and bespoke designs eligible through to 2037, when the ruleset expires.
Toyota is understood to be testing a new two-door coupé, while new privateer outfit Rally One looks to be using the shell of a Porsche Macan SUV.
Ford is developing a new supermini in the vein of the Fiesta for launch in 2028, based on the Renault 5. While that will be exclusively electric, it could still provide the basis for the size and shape of an ICE rally car under the WRC’s ‘silhouette’ rules.
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