Ford Mustang GT3 link with Ford GT
The return of Ford performance with its partner Multimatic Motorsports in IMSA and WEC with the Mustang GT3 is reminiscent of Ford GT's adventure between 2016 and 2019 which in its turn was a remembrance of Ford's four consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1966 and 1969.
📷 TOP © Luc Warnotte: Ford GT at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019. 📷 Bottom: Courtesy of IMSA: Ford Mustang #65 during IMSA-Sanctionned tests at Daytona..
The Mustang GT3 program in IMSA and WEC
Four Ford Mustang GT3 will participate in the IMSA GTD Pro (#64 and #65) and WEC LMGTE AM (#77 and #88) championships.
The Ford Performance and Multimatic program in IMSA
Many of the Multimatic Motorsports crew who participated in the Ford GT adventure between 2016 and 2019 are part of the new Ford performance two Mustang GT3 factory backed IMSA GTD Pro works team. Also three of the four work’s drivers were part of the Ford GT teams.
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. Ford Mustang #64 and #65 during IMSA-Sanctionned tests at Daytona.
Joey Hand and Dirk Müller who spent four seasons (2016-2019) piloting the #66 Ford GT in IMSA, helping the team to five wins, 14 podiums and seven pole positions, will share Ford Mustang GT3 #65.
The two shared the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans class victory (together with Sebastien Bourdais) and 2017 Rolex 24 class victory at Daytona.
Harry Tincknell also shared in the spoils of the Ford GT race program from 2016 to 2019, driving the #67 car in WEC with class victories at Silverstone, Fuji and Shanghai, and a runner-up performance in the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tincknell, part of the #64 Ford Mustang GT3 lineup, will be working with his race engineer from the Ford GT days.
Mike Rockenfeller will co-drive Ford Mustang GT3 #64, adding a wealth of both IMSA and world racing experience winning the four major 24 Hours races: two 24 Hours of Le Mans wins, the 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 24 Hours of Spa and the Nürburgring 24 Hours. He was also best in class during the 2017 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
The Ford Performance and Multimatic program with Proton Competitons in WEC
The new WEC LMGT3 category requires cars to be fielded by customer teams and not factory teams. As required by customer competition, the composition of the teams will be an association of Pro and Am riders.
📷 Courtesy of Ford. Ford Mustang GT3 testing in Barcelona.
In this context, Proton Competition will be Ford’s sole partner for WEC running two Mustang GT3 (#77 and #88) in the 2024 World Endurance Championship season and the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ford, together with long time partner Multimatic Motorsports, will be providing technical and engineering support to Proton to help run the Mustang next year.
Remember the FORD GT at Le Mans in 2016
2016 marked the 50th anniversary of the Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon win of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the black and white #2 GT40. Ford wanted to repeat it. Aiming to repeat its previous success, Ford enlisted the help of Chip Ganassi Racing and Multimatic Motorsports to build and race a winning Ford GT with the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost in both IMSA and WEC championships.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Dirk Muller, Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais winners of 24 Hours of Le Mans 2016 LMGTE PRO class with the #68 Ford GT.
Ford’s first full year in the WEC saw them winning at Fuji and Shanghai. At the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, the four Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT monopolized the first and the third row of the start grid. Dirk Muller, Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais won with the #68 Ford GT.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Ford GT at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2016.
Ford #69 driven by Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Scott Dixon finished 3rd. The #66 Ford GT driven by Billy Johnson, Stefan Mücke and Olivier Pla, finished fourth. The #67 car driven by Franchitti, Priaulx and Tincknell was patched up to make it to the end of the race, albeit 78 laps behind the leaders.
Ford GT at Le Mans in 2019
The 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019 was the last race of the four-years Ford’s programme with the objective to return to Le Mans 50 years after Ford’s first win in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969. Ford has been the only one of the then-current GTE Pro manufacturers to have finished on the podium at the previous three Le Mans but not for their last Le Mans, finishing 4th, 5th and 6th. The four cars were even finishing all together from 4th to 7th, but car #68 was disqualified.
The #66 Ford GT raced by Stefan Mücke, Olivier Pla and Billy Johnson had a black livery that echoed that of the Ford GTMk II of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon that won Le Mans in 1966. They ended 6th.
The #67 crew of Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell joined by Jonathan Bomarito was classified 4th after the disqualification of sister #68. The red livery recalled the Ford GTMk IV that Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt drove to victory at Le Mans in 1967.
The #69 Ford GT crew of Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Scott Dixon finished twice on the podium at Le Mans but didn’t achieve the same result for their last race with a Ford at Le Mans, ending 5th. The design took from the #1 Ford GTMk II that came second in Ford’s glorious 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1966. Ken Miles co-driving the #1 Ford GTMk II with Dennis Hulme was leading the race until he waited for the two other cars to cross the checkered flag together. As #2 Ford GT Mk. II had traveled approximately 8 meters more than the Miles-Hulme car (since it was parked that far behind it for the standing start as Miles qualified 1st). Therefore, by the rules, the #2 Ford GT Mk. II of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon had won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans by travelling the furthest when the race ended.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Ford GT at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019.
The #68 Ford GT was Ford’s most recent Le Mans winner, taking the chequered flag first (in class) in the 2016 race. Dirk Müller, Joey Hand and Sébastien Bourdais did raced in the same colours as when it won Le Mans in 2016.
Related Info
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Ford GT at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019. 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019 Ferrari win - Ford quit.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Winning Ford GT at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2016. Ford repeat 1966 win at 24 Hours of Le Mans.
