DUBAI (WAM)
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has welcomed Ford’s announcement that it will return to the FIA World Rally Championship with a full factory programme from 2028 and develop an all-new Rally1 car under the FIA’s WRC27 technical regulations for 2029.
Ford’s return to the championship will mark its first full works programme in the FIA WRC since 2012 and comes at a significant moment in the championship’s development.
With new technical regulations arriving in 2027, increased investment under new ownership and plans to expand the WRC’s presence in key markets including the United Kingdom and United States, the series is entering a new period of sporting and commercial growth.
The announcement makes Ford the fourth constructor to commit to developing a car under the FIA’s new WRC27 technical regulations.
Designed around safety, affordability, flexibility and accessibility, the regulations will reduce the cost of competing at the highest level of rallying, with the price of a ready-to-compete car capped at €345,000 in asphalt specification.
Ben Sulayem said, “The announcement represents another significant moment for the FIA World Rally Championship. With a new promoter in place, three constructors already committed to the new technical regulations, and now Ford confirming its return as a full works manufacturer, there is real momentum behind the championship’s next era.
He added, “Ford is one of the great names in motorsport and its commitment to FIA World Championships continues to grow. The manufacturer returned to Formula 1 this year, is competing at the highest level of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, will return to the top category of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027, and from 2028 will once again compete as a works manufacturer in the WRC.
“That will give Ford a presence across four FIA World Championships and demonstrates the importance it places on motor sport as a global platform and laboratory for its brand, products, and technologies.”
From 2028, Ford Racing will become directly involved in its FIA WRC programme alongside long-standing partner M-Sport, before introducing an all-new Rally1 car developed to the WRC27 technical regulations in 2029.
The commitment reflects the growing attractiveness of the FIA World Rally Championship to global automotive manufacturers and reinforces the role of FIA World Championships as genuine laboratories for the development, testing, and demonstration of future technologies.
Jim Baumbick, President of Ford Europe, said, “Rallying is where Ford’s character faces its toughest test, and where generations of fans come to share the thrill of seeing a car take on the impossible. We want our next generation of European vehicles to carry that same unapologetic spirit. Responsive, confidence-inspiring, and rewarding to drive on the roads people use every day.”