Ford Confirms ORECA Chassis; Sayers to Lead LMDh Effort

Photo: Ford

Ford has confirmed that its upcoming LMDh car will be based on an ORECA chassis, while also naming Dan Sayers as the program lead for its entry into the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship beginning in 2027.

The announcement was made Friday afternoon at Le Mans.

As widely expected, Ford and ORECA will work together on the chassis of the yet-to-be-named LMDh car, marking the French constructor’s fourth LMDh partnership after Acura, Alpine and Genesis, the latter which will debut next year.

“We are honored that Ford has chosen ORECA to design the future WEC Hypercar for their return to the top tier of endurance racing,” said ORECA Group President Hugues de Chaunac.

“This strategic partnership is a key part of our ongoing commitment to the highest level of racing and to the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“We are excited to channel all our energy, expertise, and enthusiasm in to this ambitious project. I would like to thank Bill Ford, Jim Farley, and Mark Rushbrook for their trust. They can count on the full engagement of all our teams around the world.”

Sayers, meanwhile, joins Ford from his current role as program director at Red Bull Ford Powertrains, where he played an instrumental part in the power unit program for the 2026 Formula 1 regulations.

The Englishman returns to sports car racing after having spent ten years at Prodrive, where he was involved in Aston Martin Racing’s GT3 and GT4 programs as well as leading the design and development of the V12 Vantage before becoming the manufacturer’s motorsport technical director.

“Ford Performance is taking on so many different challenges around the racing world, but to lead Ford back to its spiritual home at Le Mans was a challenge I could not turn down,” he said.

“Having previously led Aston Martin to multiple Le Mans class victories, the opportunity to take overall honors with Ford is something very special.

“I have loved working on the F1 program with Red Bull Ford Powertrains so this feels a lot like joining a different part of the same family.”

Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook added: “The chassis partner and the program head for any major factory program are foundational elements.

“ORECA and Dan Sayers give us the right platform to build this entire program. We have all been working closely since these decisions were made, and every step has proven correct.

“We are two years away from sitting on the grid at Le Mans with our Ford WEC Hypercar program and we now have two of the key building blocks to a successful return to prototype racing at this great race.”

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