Campbell Felt it Was “Perfect Time” for Move to Ford

Photo: Julien Delfosse/DPPI

Matt Campbell believes it’s the “perfect time” in his career to make the move to Ford for its upstart FIA World Endurance Championship factory Hypercar program.

The 31-year-old Australian, the reigning IMSA GTP champion with Porsche Penske Motorsport, was confirmed last month in the final batch of drivers for the Blue Oval’s top-class effort in the world championship next year.

It comes after a ten-year stint with Porsche that produced considerable success, including two titles in the WeatherTech Championship, GTE-Am class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, overall honors in the Rolex 24 at Daytona plus class victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans, as well as two outright triumphs in the Bathurst 12 Hour

“It’s going to be a big change; it’s going to take a little bit to get used to and not always mentioning the Porsche brand, to represent someone else now,” Campbell told Sportscar365.

“I’m so excited for wha the future has to hold. Even when I was doing a quick interview [recently] and I couldn’t stop smiling all the time, especially now officially wearing blue, it’s all official and finally out in the world, it’s really nice.

“Obviously I’m very grateful to Porsche and what they’ve been able to do for my career.

“If it wasn’t for them I probably wouldn’t be in this position, racing at the top level in endurance racing.

“Coming through from a Junior program, Young Professional and then factory driver. I’m very lucky they picked me as a Junior back in 2016.

“It’s quite crazy to think how long I’ve been there already. Obviously there’s been a lot of things changing, so it just feels like the perfect time to come across.

“Obviously Ford is growing globally in motorsport; they’ve got a huge presence across all platforms and there’s definitely a big future there and they’re pushing.

“It’s just very, very exciting for me to have a change like this.”

Campbell, who recently moved to North Carolina, said he believes the LMDh experience he has from the Porsche 963 program, along with fellow Ford newcomers Tom Blomqvist and Nick Yelloly, who come from the soon-to-be-defunct factory Acura GTP operation, will bring a diverse level of top-class know-how.

“I think that will be really, really good because we all have different experiences as well, which I think is very important because we can have some different mindsets and different approaches and different philosophies in testing,” he said.

“We’re starting to work through some of this on the simulator already, and it’s early days, there’s still a long way to go.

“This testing and development phase can always be a little bit tricky. But with Nick and Tom, especially, they have the ORECA experience.

“I think we have a really good mixture between whether it’s different manufacturers, different styles, that can really bring some good stuff to the table.

“I’m excited to see how we develop in the last six months of the year.”

Campbell Has Already ‘Raised Hand’ for Mustang GT3 Bathurst 12H Drive

While currently only confirmed for the WEC Hypercar program, Campbell said he’d jump at the opportunity to be part of Ford’s Bathurst 12 Hour effort next year, if it doesn’t conflict with pre-season testing.

Multiple Mustang GT3 EVOs are expected for next February’s edition of the race, an event where Campbell arguably rose to international fame in the late 2010s.

“I’ve definitely tried hinting at stuff like that,” he said. “I’d still love to do some GT3 events, if possible, obviously all calendar dependent.

“I understand they have a big selection of drivers on the GT side as well. Certainly, I’ve been putting my hand up and would love to still do a bit of that because that’s what my past has been, always swapping between different cars.

“I think it’s really good because it gives you a different mindset and you can always learn something.”

When asked if any of its Hypercar drivers could take part in Ford’s GT3 activities, Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbook didn’t rule out the idea.

“I would say [the focus is] primary Hypercar but as we do with a lot of our drivers, we will move them across different series and different opportunities,” he said.

“The WEC season leaves a lot of open dates on the calendar, so we’d look to maximize our time with them.”

Campbell said he’d love to try his hand in other Ford race vehicles as well, given the depth of the manufacturer’s motorsport programs.

“I think a bit of everything they do, to be honest,” he said. “I just love motorsport in general, whether it’s watching NASCAR, Dakar. Obviously I have past experience in Supercars, GT3 and so forth.

“I’d definitely put my hand up for a couple of those, there’s no question about it.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John