What a massive statement. Ford is stepping back into the World Rally Championship as a direct factory entry for the first time since 2012, and as Motorsport.com Italia reports, it is all part of a heavily calculated blueprint tying racing machines directly back to road cars.
Jim Baumbick, President of Ford Europe, laid out the grand plan during a presentation of the Ford Racing program. By the end of 2029, the brand aims to launch five entirely new models built in Europe for European buyers. That lineup spans a small electric hatchback, a small electric SUV, two multi-energy Rally-Bred crossovers, and the rugged multi-energy compact SUV known as the Bronco, crafted specifically for the European market.
Baumbick made it clear that 'Rally-Bred' is far more than mere marketing speak or styling tricks. It is a genuine promise to customers, injecting the very soul, responsiveness, and sheer capability of rally into road-going vehicles. Of course, the Blue Oval is no stranger to the stages. Even through lean years for the category, Ford maintained a presence via customer cars and crucially through M-Sport, the outfit running the Fiesta and Puma in the Rally1 category.
Yet the timing for a full factory comeback aligns with the brand's 125th year of Ford Racing and its broader 'Ready, Set, Ford' strategy. Bridging circuit racing across NASCAR, GT, Endurance, and F1 with the brutal demands of rally-raids like the Dakar, the company treats competition as the ultimate R&D lab. Rally sits right at the intersection of tarmac and dirt, throwing constantly shifting surfaces at drivers and testing road and off-road capabilities alike.
Equally vital to this return is the direction of the championship itself. Extensive talks with Eric Boullier and the new promoters convinced Ford that the series is evolving in the right way to become more accessible and engaging for fans. The manufacturer is fully behind the incoming 2027 regulations featuring Rally2 cars equipped with a renewed kit, paving the way for a brand-new vehicle to restore the championship's glory in the years ahead.
Ultimately, this is about forging an unbreakable emotional bond with the community. Having visited the Rally of Finland recently and witnessed hundreds of thousands of fans flocking to watch the action, leadership recognized that undeniable energy. Now, that passion is heading straight back into the heart of the world championship.
