Le Mans-winning race engineer Leena Gade is one of three key new appointments for Ford Racing’s forthcoming FIA WEC Hypercar programme, which will debut in 2027.
Gade, who previously worked with Multimatic and won three editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours overall (becoming the first female engineer to do so) with Audi Sport, has been signed up as a race engineer.
In addition, the Blue Oval has also announced that Grant Clarke has joined the team as its trackside engineering manager. He moves over from an engineering role with NEOM McLaren Electric Racing in Formula E. He brings significant sportscar racing experience to the party, having worked with Prodrive and TF Sport in the past.
Jean-Philippe Sarrazin, previously at Porsche Penske Motorsport, is also now on board for the Hypercar effort as a race engineer. He engineered PPM’s 2024 World Championship-winning 963.
“To compete at the top level of endurance racing, you need the best minds in the business,” says Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Racing.
“Bringing in individuals of the calibre of Grant, Leena, and Jean-Philippe shows exactly how serious we are. We aren’t just showing up to the grid; we are building a world-class organisation capable of winning the world’s toughest races.”
Image courtesy of Audi Sport
