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Ford’s new LMDh prototype has completed its maiden shakedown at Circuit Paul Ricard, marking the first track running for the car ahead of its planned World Endurance Championship debut in 2027.
The French venue was selected for its proximity to ORECA’s headquarters. The manufacturer’s chassis forms the basis of Ford’s still-unnamed Hypercar, making Le Castellet a practical starting point for the programme’s first circuit kilometres.
The car is powered by a 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 derived from Ford’s Coyote engine. Built and tested at Ford’s Dearborn facility, the engine was fitted to the chassis and started for the first time last month.
Ford said the initial running began on Wednesday 5 August with several days of running-in tests that progressed smoothly and according to plan. The team then worked through a broad systems programme designed to activate and verify the prototype’s controls before its first track tests.
“The team methodically followed a comprehensive programme to activate and verify every control system; these are now all fully operational and ready for the first track tests scheduled for this week and next,” Ford Racing said.
Works drivers Matt Campbell and Logan Sargeant shared driving duties during the shakedown. Tom Blomqvist and Mike Rockenfeller are due to take over in the following days, while Nick Yelloly and Sebastian Priaulx will also contribute to the project before Ford’s Hypercar debut.
The prototype ran in blue-and-white camouflage, with “Ford Racing” lettering and a black fin. Its very low nose features a Ferrari 499P-style profile, although it lacks the wing that runs across the top of other ORECA-based models. A raised, contoured splitter connects to the central nose section beneath the bodywork, while two aerodynamic flicks sit on each side.
The front mudguards include contoured sections above the obscured headlight area and retain the familiar opening above the wheels. Further back, a tunnel between the wheel arch and side skirts is visible, creating a defined passage beneath the bodywork.
At the rear, the side wing supports attach to the wheel-arch ends, which have an unusually hollowed-out shape. The bodywork flows into a central section carrying a horizontal LED rear-light strip, while curved lower panels merge with a wider, more squared-off diffuser. The fin on the cockpit cover follows a design similar to the Porsche 963’s, with a large air intake visible through the yellow-outlined area.
Ford’s project joins a growing Hypercar landscape that also includes Cadillac’s V-ONE concept built around V-Series.R race technology, although the two projects serve different purposes.
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