FIA welcomes Ford's return to World Rally Championship from 2028
In short
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem welcomed Ford's announcement that it will return to the FIA World Rally Championship with a full factory programme from 2028 and develop an all-new Rally1 car under the WRC27 technical regulations for 2029. Ford's return is its first full works programme in the WRC since 2012 and makes it the fourth constructor to commit to a car under the new regulations. The ready-to-compete price under those rules is capped at €345,000 in asphalt specification.
Why it matters
A fourth manufacturer committing to the WRC27 regulations strengthens the championship's next regulatory cycle, which its organisers link to increased investment and plans to expand into markets including the United Kingdom and the United States. Ford's stated presence across four FIA World Championships also signals that major manufacturers continue to treat international motorsport as a platform for their brands and products.
Key facts
- FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem welcomed Ford's announcement that it will return to the FIA World Rally Championship with a full factory programme from 2028. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ford will develop an all-new Rally1 car under the FIA's WRC27 technical regulations for 2029, according to the reports. [ 2 ]
- The return marks Ford's first full works programme in the FIA WRC since 2012. [ 2 ]
- Ford becomes the fourth constructor to commit to developing a car under the new WRC27 technical regulations. [ 2 ]
- The WRC27 regulations are designed around safety, affordability, flexibility and accessibility, with a ready-to-compete car capped at €345,000 in asphalt specification. [ 2 ]
- Ben Sulayem said three constructors were already committed to the new technical regulations and a new promoter is in place. [ 2 ]
- Ford has returned to Formula 1 this year, competes in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, will return to the top category of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027 and will compete as a WRC works manufacturer from 2028. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Ford itself issued a separate statement and what the manufacturer said about the programme. The documents report the FIA President welcoming the announcement; no Ford statement or executive is quoted, and one document carries only its headline.
- Which three other constructors have committed to the WRC27 regulations and when they did so. Aletihad says Ford is the fourth constructor to commit but does not name the first three.
- The full text of the FIA President's remarks and any further details of the announcement. The article text in the documents is truncated mid-sentence.