Ford is going back to the World Rally Championship as a full factory team in 2028, and an all-new rally car follows in 2029. The Ford WRC return was announced on October 1, 2026, at the final round of the season in Sardinia. For a brand whose Escorts and Fiestas once filled rally stages, that is a big change in posture.
Right now, Ford backs the sport mostly through its longtime partner, M-Sport, the British team that builds and runs its rally cars. From 2028, Ford Racing will take a direct role in that program. Then, a year later, a brand-new car is due to make its competitive debut.
There is a road-car angle too. Ford says the rally program ties into a new lineup of European passenger cars it describes as “rally-bred.” Here’s what Ford has confirmed, what it hasn’t, and why the timing lines up with the sport’s new rulebook.
What the Ford WRC return includes
According to Ford’s announcement, the company returns to the FIA World Rally Championship as a full factory-backed team under Ford Racing, starting in 2028. In addition, Ford says it “will once again team up with M-Sport Ltd, its rally racing partner of 30 years.”
Ford also says an all-new WRC race car will debut in 2029. That car takes its inspiration from one of Ford’s upcoming all-new European passenger vehicles. However, Ford has not named that road car or the rally car built from it. So any name you see attached to either one right now is a guess.
Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Racing, put the plan simply in the release. “We can’t wait to compete again in rally racing in 2028 and beyond,” he said.
Why this counts as a comeback
Ford never fully left the WRC, because M-Sport kept fielding Ford-badged cars. Still, the level of support changes. RACER reports that Ford currently gives M-Sport’s program only limited support. By its count, 2028 will be Ford’s first full-factory program since 2012.
That 2012 date has a story behind it. RACER points to Jari-Matti Latvala’s win at Rally GB that year, in a Fiesta RS WRC, as the last victory for Ford’s factory effort. After that, M-Sport kept Fords in the championship with only limited factory backing.
The two companies go back a long way. In fact, RACER says the Ford and M-Sport partnership stretches back to 1997. Over that time, their rally cars have included the Focus, the Fiesta and, most recently, the Puma.
The gap year before the new car
The timing leaves a hole to fill. RACER reports that the Sardinia round “marks the last outing for M-Sport’s Ford Puma Rally1 machine.” In other words, the current top-class Ford is done after this season.
For 2027, M-Sport plans a stopgap. According to RACER, the team is developing a Rally2 WRC kit for its existing Ford Fiesta Rally2, a car from the second tier of the sport. That kit is meant to let the Fiesta compete at the WRC’s top level until the all-new car arrives in 2029.
Meanwhile, the championship itself is changing. Ford’s release notes that new regulations take effect for the 2027 season and beyond. In the same release, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said three constructors are already committed to those technical rules. RACER describes the new rules as more cost-effective, which helps explain why a full factory return makes sense now.
The road cars behind the rally plan
Ford is framing the WRC program as a test bed for its European showroom. The release mentions an all-new passenger lineup of five “multi-energy” electric vehicles and hybrids for Europe. Ford describes those cars as rally-bred, with off-road DNA.
Jim Baumbick, president of Ford Europe, made the link directly in the release. “Rallying is where Ford’s character faces its toughest test,” he said. He also described the WRC as a proving ground for control and driver engagement.
Ford has made this kind of connection before. For example, the release cites the 1970 Escort Mexico and the latest Ranger Raptor pickup as road vehicles inspired by rally success. Even so, Ford has given no prices, specs or launch dates for the five new European models.
Ford’s rally record and the wider racing push
Ford leans heavily on its history here. The company says its rally versions of the Escort, Sierra, Focus, Fiesta and Puma have played big roles across more than 50 years of WRC history. According to RACER, that record adds up to two drivers’ world championships, four manufacturers’ titles and 82 rally wins across factory and privateer programs.
The WRC leaders welcomed the news. “We are delighted to welcome Ford back as a full factory team and look forward to this new chapter together,” said Eric Boullier, CEO of the WRC Promoter, as quoted by RACER. M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson added that “Ford is in many ways synonymous with rallying and it feels like it is back where it belongs.”
Still, the Ford WRC return is only one part of a bigger racing calendar for Ford. The release says Ford returned to Formula 1 in 2026 and competes in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. Ford will also return to the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027.
What happens next
The next firm date belongs to the competition calendar, not the showroom. Ford Racing joins M-Sport’s campaign in 2028, before the new car is ready. Then the all-new WRC car makes its debut in 2029.
Until then, Ford’s last top-class rally car has already run its final event. RACER confirms the Puma Rally1 made its final WRC start at Rally Italy Sardinia, the same weekend Ford announced it was coming back.
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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.
