Ford and McLaren accelerate preparations for 2027 WEC Hypercar debut

Two new contenders for Le Mans glory

The World Endurance Championship is set for a major expansion next year, with Ford and McLaren preparing to enter the Hypercar division with LMDh prototypes. Assuming all current manufacturers remain on the grid, the 2027 Le Mans 24 Hours will produce a 10-way fight for outright victory.

Both manufacturers have been developing their cars for more than a year. Their programmes are at different stages, however: Ford has only just completed its first engine fire-up, while McLaren has already accumulated several tests with its MCL-HY prototype.

The backdrop is significant. Ford won Le Mans four consecutive times from 1966 to 1969, while McLaren claimed a remarkable debut victory with the F1 GTR in 1995. Their return adds further weight to an already competitive Hypercar field, especially as other manufacturers continue to develop their projects, including Peugeot’s next phase with the 9X8.

Ford reaches first major build milestone

Ford’s unnamed LMDh car uses an Oreca chassis, a 5.4-litre Coyote V8 and a spec hybrid system. The first engine start took place at Oreca’s factory in France with the complete car, including its hybrid system, assembled and operational.

That integration milestone clears the way for on-track running, which is scheduled to begin in August at European circuits. Ford will have approximately seven months of track testing before the opening round of the 2027 WEC season in Qatar next March.

Initial testing will use one chassis, with a second car planned later. The final development phase will take place in North America. While Ford is behind McLaren in track mileage, it has already confirmed its full 2027 driver line-up: Mike Rockenfeller, Sebastian Priaulx, Logan Sargeant, Tom Blomqvist, Nick Yelloly and Matt Campbell. The programme is led by Dan Sayers.

McLaren builds testing advantage

McLaren’s MCL-HY is also an LMDh car, built with Dallara and powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 with a spec hybrid system. The prototype has completed several tests and made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, driven by Grégoire Saucy and Lando Norris in a Bruce McLaren tribute livery.

Further testing is planned before homologation at the Windshear wind tunnel in the United States. McLaren has announced Mikkel Jensen and Laurens Vanthoor for 2027, while Saucy, Richard Verschoor and Ben Hanley have contributed to testing. A new Dynisma driver-in-the-loop simulator is also being installed at the McLaren Technology Centre.

The team is led by James Barclay, who joined after guiding Jaguar to Formula E championship success.