Ford Racing has confirmed it will return to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2028, fielding a full factory-backed team after a 50-year history in the sport. The announcement ties directly to Ford's plans for a new European lineup of five "multi-energy" electric and hybrid passenger vehicles.
Ford says lessons from WRC competition will shape the handling and responsiveness of that upcoming range. Ford Racing will partner again with M-Sport Ltd, its rally collaborator of 30 years, to build an all-new WRC race car set to debut in 2029.
Ford Racing Rejoins WRC As Factory Team In 2028
Ford Racing will compete in the WRC as a full factory-backed outfit starting in 2028. It marks the brand's return to top-level rally competition after decades away from the works side of the sport.
The move builds on more than 50 years of history that includes rallying versions of the Escort, Sierra, Focus, Fiesta and Puma. Over that span, Ford won multiple manufacturer and driver world championships and built the reputations of several prominent rally drivers.
The company says that record of durability across asphalt, gravel, ice and sand also shaped road cars, from the 1970 Escort Mexico to the modern Ranger Raptor pickup.
Jim Baumbick, President of Ford Europe, linked the racing return to the next generation of road cars. "Rallying is where Ford's character faces its toughest test, and where generations of fans come to share the thrill of seeing a car take on the impossible," he said, adding that the upcoming lineup should feel "responsive, confidence-inspiring, and rewarding to drive."
Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Racing, tied the timing to the company's 125th anniversary in racing. "Our 50-year legacy in the WRC stands out as one of our proudest because of its direct connection to the fun and exciting cars that came from that," he said. "We can't wait to compete again in rally racing in 2028 and beyond."
M-Sport Partnership Leads To New 2029 Race Car
Ford Racing and M-Sport Ltd will work together immediately. Ford Racing gets directly involved in the WRC campaign from 2028, ahead of an all-new race car's debut in 2029.
That new car will draw inspiration from one of the upcoming European passenger vehicles rather than an existing model.
M-Sport has run Ford's rally program for 30 years, giving the two organizations a long operational history to build on as the works effort ramps up. The timeline puts two full seasons between the factory team's return and the new car's debut.
Ford Racing's broader portfolio spans NASCAR, IMSA, Formula Drift, the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship and, as of this year, Formula 1 through Red Bull Ford Powertrains. The company also plans to return to the top category of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027.
What FIA Leadership Says About WRC's Direction
The announcement arrives as new ownership and new rules reshape the championship. Cosmobilis and Park Square Capital recently acquired the commercial rights to the WRC, and new technical regulations take effect starting with the 2027 season.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem tied Ford's return to that broader shift. "With a new promoter in place, three constructors already committed to the new technical regulations, and now Ford confirming its return as a full works manufacturer, there is real momentum behind the championship's next era," he said.
Ben Sulayem also pointed to Ford's reach across FIA competition with its 2026 return to Formula 1, its rally-raid program, and the planned 2027 World Endurance Championship entry alongside the WRC effort. That combination, he said, "will give Ford a presence across four FIA World Championships."
He added a personal note, recalling his own driving career with the brand. "I had the privilege of driving for Ford during my own career so welcoming them back is a particularly special moment for me," he said.
How Rally Feeds Ford's European Model Lineup
Ford has said its upcoming European-built vehicles target the continent's "perfectly imperfect roads," a phrase the company introduced when it first explained the passenger vehicle strategy that WRC competition is now meant to support. Baumbick argued that rally testing exposes weaknesses no road test can replicate.
"You can't fake it on Europe's roads, which is why a car's responsiveness and handling is so important," he said. "The WRC is the ultimate proving ground for control and driver engagement, and that is the exact spirit and lessons learned we are injecting into our next generation of passenger vehicles."
The five-vehicle European lineup will mix electric and hybrid models. The eventual WRC car borrows styling or engineering cues from one of them once it debuts in 2029.
No pricing, specific model names or on-sale dates for those passenger vehicles were disclosed.
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