The Ford Mustang GT3 story
The Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports teams are 2 days away from Session #1 - WeatherTech Championship on Friday, January 19th at 11:00 am ET on Daytona International Speedway with the new Ford Mustang GT3.
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. Ford Mustang #65 during IMSA-Sanctioned tests at Daytona.
With the global reach of the GT3 rules, the Ford Mustang GT3 will challenge the BMW M, Corvette, Lexus, Mercedes and Porsche GT3s which scored many races and championship wins in 2023. Car Racing Reporter follows the major Endurance Racing Championships which are welcoming the Ford Mustang GT3: GT World Challenge Europe, IMSA and WEC.
Episode Four being released last Saturday, we are sharing the headlines of each episode. Revive the exciting beginning of the Ford Mustang GT3's journey with Ford Performance’s four videos on YouTube. Enjoy the stories and the sound of the new Ford Mustang GT3 many fans look forward to seeing racing for the first time at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and beyond.
Two new chassis rolled out four months ago for Daytona
The program started two years ago with FORD’s technical partners Multimatic Performance for the support and the construction of the vehicles and Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport for the construction of a new Coyote Based 5.4L normally aspired V8 GT3 engine.
Ford is a family company. The new program started with people who worked and delivered in the past (GT program from 2016 to 2019) like Joey Hand, Harry Tincknell and Dirk Müller.
📷 Courtesy of Ford Performance. Ford Mustang GT3 testing in Barcelona.
GT3 being a Global platform enables FORD to compete in racing series all around the world. The Mustang GT3 program is also a customer program for both PRO and AM drivers. Teams like Dynamic GT who’ll align two Ford Mustang GT3s in the SRO GT World Challenge Europe had a chance to get their drivers to test the car at Barcelona. Philipp Sager, co-owner and AM driver of Dinamic GT, and PRO drivers like Harry Tincknell were enthusiastic as the car is faster than the one they were using in the championship. Christopher Mies, Denis Olsen and Frédéric Vervisch will drive Dinamic GT Ford Mustang GT3 #54 in the next season in the PRO category for Endurance and Sprint Cup of Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe.
Proton Competition will run two Mustang GT3s (#77 and #88) in the LM GT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)
Road America's first test of the new chassis (4 and 5) took place under tricky conditions with rain and mist, four month ago.
The V8 engine for performance and reliability
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. Ford Mustang #65 during IMSA-Sanctioned tests at Daytona.
The V8 engine went through extensive testing at Carolina Motorsport Park, Daytona, Road America and Sebring to reach the right balance between performance and reliability for a 24 Hours race.
The engine based upon the Coyote 5L V8 cylinder block is first cast and shifted in the Essex engine plant like millions of F-150 and Mustang engines. It then goes to M-Sport (@msportltd) to be assembled by hand to deliver the specific sound of a V8 engine everybody likes. It then went to Multimatic Motorsports and was also tested at Dearborn in simulation laps for durability.
Episode 2 is about the journey of the Mustang GT3’s engine and what it takes to build the heart of this endurance racer.
The aerodynamics and grip to maximize overall performance
The challenge of building a car that maximizes performance from an aerodynamic and grip needs to follow the FIA aero requirements but more importantly various track and weather conditions.
Episode 3 delves into the aerodynamic design and carbon fiber artistry that define the Mustang GT3’s competitive edge in endurance racing. It is where Watson Racing does all the necessary sheet metal cuttings from the initial body before arriving at Multimatic which will add the tubes and carbon elements still making sure it fits into the FIA rules for aero requirements.
📷 Courtesy of Ford Performance. Ford Mustang GT3 testing in Barcelona.
Three weeks of testing on multiple circuits in Europe like Monteblanco in Spain which presents very tough braking challenges before heading to BoP testing and homologation.
Final preparations
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. #65: Ford Multimatic Motorsports, Ford Mustang GT3, GTD PRO: Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller
Episode 4 concludes with the IMSA pre-season test and ‘Balance of Performance’ evaluation ahead of the Roar Before the 24 and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The first day of testing was “too good” for the Ford Mustang GT3 as it went faster than the competition so that the BoP requires intake restrictors and, surprisingly, a little less weight to pull the Mustang down in lap time. Source: Ford performance.
Ford Mustang GT3 line-ups at 24 Hours of Daytona
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. Ford Mustang #64 during IMSA-Sanctioned tests at Daytona.
Christopher Mies will be joining full-season drivers Harry Tincknell and Mike Rockenfeller in the #64 Mustang.
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. Ford Mustang #65 during IMSA-Sanctioned tests at Daytona.
Frédéric Vervisch will complete the #65 lineup with Joey Hand and Dirk Müller.
Ryan Hardwick, Dennis Olsen, Giammarco Levorato and Corey Lewis with #55 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 will contest the Rolex 24 at Daytona and race in addition to the factory entries. Levorato and Lewis will also drive the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD season, having Ryan Hardwick as a third driver at the endurance events which brings the Ford Mustang GT3 count to three in the 2024 IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship. Source: Proton Competition.
Related Info
📷 Courtesy of Ford Performance. Ford expands sports car factory driver lineup
📷 TOP © Luc Warnotte: Ford GT at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019. 📷 Bottom: Courtesy of IMSA. Ford Mustang GT3 link with Ford GT.
📷 © 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.
