Crafting a well-balanced driver line-up to support the development of a Hypercar programme is one of the important tasks the WEC OEMs face as they begin a new chapter in their racing legacy.
Drivers have to be excellent brand ambassadors, leaders, and communicators, and come prepared to work through the bumps in the road that come with a brand-new team, all before they actually sit behind the wheel and fight for silverware.
Back at Le Mans, Ford completed its Hypercar line-up for the 2027 WEC season with three new additions, all of whom are established LMDh drivers: Nick Yelloly, Matt Campbell, and Tom Blomqvist. And it believes it has found the right balance across its roster of six drivers, which also includes Mike Rockenfeller, Seb Priaulx and Logan Sargeant.
The three newcomers bring experience with Acura, Porsche, Cadillac, and BMW’s LMDh chassis Their varied experience with world-class teams makes them attractive to a team like Ford looking to be in the fight as soon as possible.
Nick Yelloly and Tom Blomqvist arrive at Ford following the “pause” of Acura’s LMDh programme with Meyer Shank Racing in IMSA, announced earlier this season. The end of that programme came right in time for the ‘Blue Oval’ to take advantage.
“There are so many different elements that go into driver selection. Some of it is just outright speed, some of it is experience on different tracks or different series, whether it’s WEC or IMSA, different styles of racing. It’s also the ability to use the simulator, all the tools that are available,” said Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Racing.
“With the driver market shaking up a little bit, opportunities presented themselves, and obviously, we’re taking advantage of those opportunities, and we were able to finalise those deals and announce it here.”
According to Yelloly (below), the line-up came together quite quickly, with contracts being put in front of the two Acura drivers just weeks ago during the IMSA Detroit Grand Prix at the end of May.
“It all happened very, very fast. Super happy to be a part of it,” he recalled. “[Us Acura drivers] were weighing up our options and who we thought were most suited as a company to go and race with. Obviously, Ford has got this great heritage and is coming with a very exciting program for next year, so it just made sense.”
Luckily, Acura and Meyer Shank Racing have made the transition very smooth, enabling the drivers to begin work for their new employer immediately, fitting in test and development duties alongside their contractual obligations to HRC US in IMSA.
“We’re going to be in the thick of it straight away. Thankfully, Acura has given me their blessing since they’re leaving to be able to go do that. So yeah, straight to work, and really excited to get going,” Yelloly added.
Ford had Blomqvist’s (below) attention prior to the contract talks, as he commented on the day of the driver reveal. Their messaging and goals align with his own; however, he also took the time to reaffirm his ongoing drive to succeed with Acura in the remainder of his season stateside before he moves to the new programme.
“We had been in discussions for some time, but it all came together really recently,” he explained. “I’ve seen Dan [Sayers], whom I’ve known longer than just since starting the discussions; from what I’ve seen from Dan, [I’ve] really been impressed with the atmosphere and the openness, and the way they communicated.
“[Honda and Meyer Shank] have been very kind, letting me be a part of the programme, kind of from now on, let’s say. Obviously, the priority still lies with this season. I’ve got a season ahead of me, still trying to win races over there.”
In Matt Campbell’s case, his relationship and talks with Ford go back to before the 2026 season began, back in October of 2025.
“I think discussions started in October of last year, got signed pretty quickly after that, and it’s all been working really, really well,” the Australian recounted. “Only officially been working with Ford not quite since the start of the year, already involved in the simulator stuff, and then obviously I’ll be involved in all of the testing and development phase.”
Campbell (below) has driven for Porsche since he switched from open-wheel to sportscars in 2014, very early in his career. He then rose through the Porsche ranks to compete full-time in the Porsche 963 for Porsche Penske Motorsport in IMSA and WEC, enjoying considerable success with the manufacturer over a decade span.
However, with Porsche halting its WEC Hypercar programme for 2026, Campbell was ready to pursue a new path.
Making this pivot is not something Campbell takes lightly. For the Australian driver, this decision marks the beginning of what he hopes will be a sustainable, long-term relationship with the American factory in the WEC and potentially beyond that in GT3 machinery.
“From my point of view, I don’t want to go somewhere for one or two years. I’ve been at Porsche my whole entire career,” he said.
“Ford is growing globally in motorsport, and they’ve got their foot in a little bit everywhere, and they have got much more of a presence now than they have in the past sort of 10 years, and consistent, so I think that’s really exciting.
“They definitely have got a path in place where they see themselves being here for the long term, and that’s what’s so exciting for me. I want to be here for a long time.”
They definitely have got a path in place where they see themselves being here for the long term, and that’s what’s so exciting for me.
These three drivers are very well acquainted, having raced against one another for years. There is a noticeable shared admiration between them as they head into this new challenge together. They respect each other’s skill and accomplishments, and look forward to contributing to the same goal in the coming months and years.
“I think we’ve got some really great additions to the programme in a very diverse group as well, which I think is really key for the development phase. I think it’s really cool that we have Nick and Tom coming from an ORECA-based car already, so that will speed up the development process a lot, I think,” Campbell said.
“Obviously, choosing [Yelloly] comes with a lot of experience as well, speed, which is important, but also that skill-based knowledge and experience in endurance racing at the highest level. That’s important for a brand like Ford. We have a lot of experience with, you know, a similar car to what we’re going to be developing,” adds Blomqvist.
“But also having Matt [Campbell] as well is extremely beneficial. He comes from Porsche, you know, they’ve obviously been extremely competitive, done super well with their programme over the last few years.”
“Driver-wise, I’ve known Tom [Blomqvist] since we were 16-17, I’ve raced against Matt [Campbell] for years, and Matt’s already been in the simulator, so I’ve had brief chats with them already,” commented Yelloly.
The next steps for the Ford Hypercar programme include a car rollout at Paul Ricard in August, a series of simulator sessions, and preliminary track testing this summer.
Decisions will also have to be made by Ford on the driver combinations for each car. Rushbrook and his team will also have to work out whether or not they will utilise all six drivers across the full WEC season in 2027 to compete with pairs at some of the shorter races.
“We don’t know (about driver combinations), it’s to be determined,” Rushbrook (above) explained. “For sure, up until Le Mans (we will race with all six), and in 2027 there’s a lot of races before Le Mans. Then it’s TBD post-Le Mans. We’ll have a plan before the season starts, but it’s likely to change as the season goes. We want to get all of them seat time before that race.”
Images courtesy of Ford/DPPI
