Ford has confirmed it will return to the World Rally Championship as a full manufacturer in 2028, ending a 16-year absence from the top flight of rallying. The American marque last ran a works team in 2012 and will now partner with Cumbrian operation M-Sport, which has campaigned Ford models as a privateer outfit with technical support since then.
The comeback arrives as the WRC introduces its WRC27 regulations, which allow cars to be built around a standard tubular chassis and a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine producing around 300bhp. The current Rally1 machines are spectacular but hugely costly, a factor that has suppressed entrant numbers. Toyota had been the only full manufacturer committed to the new era, raising the prospect of a single works team against a handful of privateers. Ford's addition instantly adds credibility to the championship.
Ford is third on the all-time list of WRC manufacturer wins, despite a surprisingly light championship record. Its rallying heritage is built on celebrated cars such as the Escort, Focus and Fiesta. M-Sport has already delivered success with Ford machinery, most notably back-to-back drivers' titles for Sébastien Ogier in 2017 and 2018, plus the 2017 manufacturers' crown.
The timing is significant for British rally fans. A British squad will run Ford's works team at a moment when a British event, the new Rally Scotland, returns to the WRC schedule for the first time since 2019. Live coverage on the BBC will further raise the sport's profile in the UK.
Beyond rallying, the decision reflects Ford's broader strategy in Europe. The company's US success has been driven by off-roaders, particularly pick-up trucks and the Bronco SUV in performance Raptor form. Ford competes in 35 motorsport categories worldwide, and its off-road involvement is growing by design. The new WRC team will sit alongside Ford's Dakar Rally project, also run by M-Sport, as well as support for competitors at Pikes Peak, Baja racing and the King of the Hammers in California.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has described the business rationale clearly. He noted that while Ford has a well-established pyramid for on-road motorsport, especially endurance racing, no such structure exists in off-road, which he said «really pays all the bills now». Farley explained that Ford invests in Dakar and Pikes Peak because it is «extremely critical for our company strategy, which is to compete on the weekend, take the engineering back into the core company and improve the enthusiast products». He added that enthusiasts are «the core of our retail business» and «have always been a really bright spot of the company, especially in the UK».
That thinking is already shaping Ford's European line-up. The firm has revealed plans for a regional Bronco and a range of «rally-inspired» models that draw on its heritage for driving dynamics. The old «win on Sunday, sell on Monday» mantra is gone. Motorsport is now about brand-building and knowledge transfer. The goal is to inject off-road sporting heritage into every model in the European range, rather than simply developing fast ST or RS variants.
Working with M-Sport gives Ford a direct link between current competition and its latest road cars. Farley has spoken warmly of Ford's rally heritage, citing figures such as Roger Clark and Colin McRae. But drawing a line from historic competition cars to modern showroom models is difficult without a contemporary works programme. A current WRC project provides that connection.
If Ford intends to build a pyramid of off-road motorsport, the WRC sits at its summit, particularly with plans for a US event firming up. The return is therefore not only a boost for the championship but also validation for Ford's rally-infused European product plan. It is a firm statement of intent to build road cars that enthusiasts will love.