Ford hypercar begins testing programme in France

Look at this beauty finally touching tarmac. Ford Racing's brand-new Hypercar has been spotted on-track for the very first time at Circuit Paul Ricard down in southern France, and testing is officially underway. The American automotive giant is gearing up for its big debut in the top-tier of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027, and this machine is the weapon chosen for the job.

Here's the thing: Ford will swell the series' burgeoning Hypercar ranks next year alongside none other than McLaren, a fellow iconic brand and LMGT3 category rival. While the McLaren MCL-HY had a successful rollout in Italy in May, the Blue Oval's own challenger is still yet to be publicly named. But make no mistake, the shakedown has happened.

That prototype first ventured out of the pits behind closed doors earlier this month. The team worked methodically through a comprehensive plan just to activate and verify all of its control systems. Thankfully, the team reports that those systems are fully functional and ready for the official tests scheduled for this week and next.

Let me tell you about the talent tapped to tame this beast. Matt Campbell, Mike Rockenfeller, and Tom Blomqvist were right there on-site for the initial shakedown run. Following that, the Australian and stablemate Logan Sargeant took to the wheel yesterday (17 August) at Paul Ricard, and Blomqvist is due to join them in the coming days as well.

To round out Ford's 2027 Hypercar line-up, the Michigan-based marque has brought in the British duo Sebastian Priaulx and Nick Yelloly. The goal here is massive: they are aiming to recreate former glories at Le Mans while simultaneously doing battle for world championship honours. That is a wild mission, but testing has finally begun.