Sargeant: Le Mans “Important” Prep for Ford Hypercar Debut

Logan Sargeant has described next weekend’s 24 Hour of Le Mans as “super important” preparation for Ford Racing’s bid for overall honors in Hypercar next year.

The American ex-Formula 1 driver will be making his debut in the French endurance classic aboard Proton Competition’s No. 88 Ford Mustang GT3 EVO alongside his regular FIA World Endurance Championship co-drivers Stefano Gattuso and Giammarco Levorato.

Sargeant’s LMGT3 campaign with Proton is serving as preparation for his step up to Hypercar next year together with Ford, which also named Seb Priaulx and Mike Rockenfeller among its first batch of 2027 drivers back in January.

Although he knows the track from a previous outing in the Road to Le Mans support event, the 25-year-old feels learning all the nuances of the WEC blue riband race will be critical for “when it matters” next year as part of Ford’s roster in the top class.

“I drove here in 2021, in Road to Le Mans, so I have a bit of familiarity with the circuit,” Sargeant told Sportscar365. “That was five years ago now and I’m excited to be back.

“I think the preparation itself has been as good as it can be. Obviously we are searching for some pace as a team coming from Imola and Spa, so we are working towards that.

“I’m just trying to learn as much as I can in this championship to be ready for next year. I know the tracks for the most part, but it’s more about learning procedures and whatnot.

“It’s all gone pretty smoothly so far, but Le Mans is different to every other race. Different things happen here with three safety cars for example, and just getting on top of all that will be super important to not make any mistakes when it matters next year.”

With the on-track debut of Ford’s yet-t0-be named ORECA-based LMDh challenger slated for this summer, Sargeant stressed the important of the test program running as smoothly as possible to give the best possible launchpad for the 2027 season.

“For sure it’s going to be fun,” said Sargeant of the Hypercar program. “But I’m trying not to look too far ahead as we still need to get the car on-track for testing.

“That’s just around the corner now, so I am excited. And then obviously as we get through all that we will prepare the best we can.

“A lot of how we do next year will depend on how efficient we can be with the test days we have. We are starting years behind some of the other teams, so there’s definitely going to be a learning curve for the whole team.

“That’s all part of it; we have to expect that in the first year. But the more we can do in testing, the easier we can make our lives.”

Priaulx: “Good to Relearn” Le Mans Ahead of Hypercar Step

On the other side of the Proton Ford garage, Priaulx will also be using next weekend’s race as preparation for his step up to the Ford Hypercar ranks.

The British driver is not making his Le Mans debut, having made one previous start in 2022 for Dempsey-Proton Racing in the GTE-Am class, but admitted that returning after several years away will be valuable with next season in mind.

“I love this race and I’m really glad to be back,” Priaulx told Sportscar365. “I have done it in the past, but four years is a long time in racing, so it’s really good to be back.

“I’ve done other 24-hour races since then, but Le Mans is different. It’s very dark and the conditions change a lot, so it’s a different way of working.

“It’s good to relearn the racing, what happens at night here, if it’s damp, whatever. The slow zones here are also very different to IMSA, so it’s good to refresh my mind.”

Priaulx has been part of the Ford-run Proton LMP2 effort in the European Le Mans Series together with Rockenfeller and FIA Silver-rated driver Jonas Ried, the trio having scored a best finish of eighth so far in the opening two races of the season.

Having spent recent years largely racing GT machinery, Priaulx said racing the ELMS has been useful to get used to being in the fastest class, as well as building relationships with many of the personnel who will be involved in the Ford Hypercar effort.

“It’s been really good for our racecraft,” he said. “It’s good in the LMP2 car to be always looking forward instead of looking in your mirrors, in terms of how you prepare to pass. It has also been good to get that aero experience again to get ready for Hypercar.

“It’s also the Hypercar team for next year, so getting to know the people and learning how the whole team works will really help for next year, because every team is different. I think it’s the best thing we can do to prepare for Hypercar.”

Stephen Lickorish contributed to this report