Ford Racing will return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) as an official factory team from 2028. Together with long-term partner M-Sport, Ford will develop an all-new Rally1 car under the WRC27 regulations, which is set to make its debut in 2029.
The return will be preceded by a transitional period. In 2027, M-Sport will enter the WRC’s top class with Ford Fiesta Rally2s fitted with the new Rally2 WRC-Kit. From 2028, Ford Racing will become directly involved in M-Sport’s WRC programme, ahead of the introduction of the new Ford built to the WRC27 regulations in 2029.
M-Sport ran Ford’s official WRC programme from 1997 through to 2012, campaigning cars including the Escort WRC, several generations of the Focus WRC and the Fiesta WRC. From 2013 onwards, M-Sport continued to compete in the WRC with Ford, but no longer as an official factory team. That will change again in 2028. Since 2025, M-Sport has also run Ford’s official factory programme in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) with the Raptor T1+.
Rally2 Kit in 2027 and 2028, new WRC27 Rally1 in 2029
The Rally2 WRC-Kit should not be confused with a WRC27 Rally1 car. The FIA has introduced the kit as a temporary solution for 2027 and 2028 only, allowing existing Rally2 cars to compete alongside the new-generation WRC27 cars. So far, M-Sport is the only constructor to have confirmed that it is developing a kit for its Rally2 car.
The kit consists of new front wings, a new front bumper and a larger rear wing. The minimum weight of a Rally2 car fitted with the kit will also be reduced to 1,220kg, 10kg less than a standard Rally2. The aim of the kit is to keep the performance gap between Rally2 cars and the new WRC27 cars as small as possible.
The WRC27 regulations will provide the new technical basis for the WRC’s top class from 2027. The concept is designed to significantly reduce costs while also allowing new manufacturers, constructors, and tuners to enter the championship’s top class. From 2027, the championship will switch to a constructors’ championship rather than a manufacturers’ championship, similar to Formula 1.
The cars will be built around a common, standardised tubular chassis, while manufacturers will have considerable freedom over the design of the bodywork within defined dimensions.
Unlike under previous regulations, WRC27 Rally1 cars will no longer have to be based on the bodywork or chassis of an existing production car. The cost of a WRC27 car will be capped at €345,000 in tarmac specification.
Fourth WRC27 manufacturer confirmed
Ford becomes the fourth constructor to develop a car to the WRC27 regulations, following Toyota, Belgian Project Rally One and Spanish WRT Rally1 by RMC Motorsport.
Ford’s new WRC27 car, which will debut in 2029, will be based on one of the new European passenger cars Ford is set to introduce in the coming years.
Photos: Ford Racing
