Get ready for a massive shake-up in rallying, because Ford is officially coming back to the World Rally Championship as a fully fledged manufacturer. As Autosport reports, the American marque has announced plans to run a full factory effort alongside partner M-Sport starting in 2028, complete with a commitment to develop an all-new car for 2029.
It is a massive shift in stance. While Ford has maintained a presence in the championship through M-Sport since withdrawing its full factory programme at the end of 2012—even jumping in for full-force development of the Ford Puma WRC car in 2022 and taking a memorable win at Monte Carlo with Sebastien Loeb—the company never quite leaned into rallying the right way until now. Global director Mark Rushbrook explained that leadership changes at Ford of Europe played a pivotal role.
With Jim Baumbick now leading Ford of Europe, a product development expert whom Rushbrook has worked with for 25 years, the company's attitude toward motorsport has completely shifted. Baumbick is all in on rallying, aligning Ford of Europe and Ford Racing globally to embrace the opportunity. That internal push happened to line up perfectly with changes from the championship promoter and upcoming technical regulations, making it what Rushbrook described as a fairly easy decision.
Timing-wise, the return also coincides with the championship likely hosting a round in the USA next year for the first time since 1988. While Rushbrook noted that the American rally wasn't the definitive deciding factor, having asked for a US round since 2018 or 2019 before the COVID era derailed those plans, it remains a meaningful bonus for a brand that calls itself America's race team.
Revealed during the launch announcement at the WRC season finale in Sardinia, the manufacturer also confirmed that five new Ford car products are coming soon to Europe, with four leaning into the brand's rally heritage. One of those fresh products is expected to serve as the base for the brand-new 2029 WRC machine. For now, the team has a couple of years of heavy development ahead before the new car hits the stages.
