Ford’s LMDh Hypercar Completes Initial Test at Paul Ricard

Ford Racing has finished the inaugural test of its brand‑new LMDh, slated to debut in the 2027 World Endurance Championship.

The Oreca‑based prototype, set to contest next year’s Hypercar category, logged more than 1,000 km at Circuit Paul Ricard. After an initial shakedown to verify systems, the team proceeded with three full days of intensive testing.

Drivers Logan Sargeant, Matt Campbell, Tom Blomqvist and Mike Rockenfeller shared seat time in the LMDh, which is motivated by a 5.4‑litre V8 derived from the Ford Coyote engine.

In the pit lane, Sebastian Priaulx and Nick Yelloly stood by, awaiting their turns behind the wheel in the weeks ahead.

Mark Rushbrook, Ford Racing director, commented: “Running the LMDh on track for the first time at Paul Ricard is a major milestone for us. Every kilometre we accumulate brings us closer to Le Mans and to re‑establishing Ford at the forefront of endurance racing.”

He added: “This is merely the opening step of a long and demanding development programme, but seeing all six drivers collaborate and push the project forward highlights the strong team spirit we are cultivating.”

Ford Hypercar

Photo by: Ford

Next, the programme will shift to three days of simulator work at Ford Racing’s headquarters in North Carolina to confirm that the track data correlates with virtual models.

Following that, Ford will head to Portimão in early September, then proceed to test sessions at Silverstone, Monza, Imola, Aragón, Austin and Sebring.

Dan Sayers, head of Ford’s WEC Hypercar programme, said: “Reaching Paul Ricard, completing the shakedown and logging three full days of testing matches the target we set for ourselves.”

He continued: “All the preparation – bench work in Dearborn, firing up the engine in France, countless simulator hours – was geared toward ensuring we could hit the ground running once we arrived at the circuit.”

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