Campbell: First Ford Hypercar Test “Really Positive Start”

New Ford Racing recruit Matt Campbell has described the first test of the manufacturer’s Hypercar earlier this month as a “really positive start” after more than 1000km of running was completed at Paul Ricard.

Campbell shared driving duties during the three-day test with Mike Rockenfeller, Logan Sargeant and Tom Blomqvist but completed the greatest amount of mileage in the yet-to-be-named LMDh machine, which is powered by a 5.4-liter Coyote V8 engine.

The other two drivers confirmed for the car’s FIA World Endurance Championship debut next year, Seb Priaulx and Nick Yelloly, were also present at Paul Ricard.

Campbell said the test had “gone smoothly” but acknowledged that Ford still has a “long road in front of us.”

“I’ve seen fans online raving about how awesome the sound is but, from inside the cockpit, it’s on another level – it’s absolutely deafening!” he added.

“I’m genuinely excited for what’s ahead with this car.

“Aside from a few minor teething issues – which you’d expect at the beginning of a new program – everything has gone well.

“From here, things really ramp up: I’m heading back to the USA for three days of sim work before returning to Europe for the next test.”

Sargeant added: “Starting testing from where we did is a huge credit to the team. There have already been countless hours poured into this project, including a ton of time in the simulator, so we’ve had a massive head start.

“Now it’s about making sure everything comes together flawlessly, and that’s the next step for us. We can honestly say we’ve started in the best possible way.”

Ford has revealed that its next on-track test is due to be held at Portimao at the beginning of September, with the car then due to get more mileage at Silverstone, Monza, Imola and Motorland Aragon before heading to the U.S. to run at both Circuit Of The Americas and Sebring International Raceway.

“Reaching Paul Ricard and getting the car through its shakedown and three full days of running is exactly the milestone we set out to hit,” said Ford Racing WEC Hypercar program manager Dan Sayers.

“Everything we did in the buildup – the dyno work in Dearborn, the fire-up in France, the countless hours in the sim – was about making sure that when we rolled out onto track, we were ready to be plug and play.

“There’s a long list of milestones still ahead of us before Q1 2027, but these past couple of weeks has given the team a lot of confidence and strong foundations to build on.”