Ford to show new road-going sports car at F1 launch in January
Ford Racing is on the cusp of unveiling its first “all-new” sports car since its motorsport and road-car operations were merged.
At its 2026 season launch event on 15 January, it will provide a first glimpse at the new car, described by Ford Racing chief Mark Rushbrook as “a testament to how deeply we’re integrating our racing innovation into the vehicles you drive every day”.
It will be the first in a new line of models after Ford Performance was overhauled with a view to strengthening the relationship between the brand’s road cars and its thoroughbreds.
What form the new car will take remains yet to be announced, but there are several possibilities.
Ford CEO Jim Farley recently hinted at the prospect of a 1000bhp Ranger Raptor pick-up truck inspired by the brand’s Dakar Rally contender, for example, telling Bloomberg: “No one has ever built a supercar for gravel, high-speed sand, dirt.”
Prototypes of an updated Ford Mustang GTD supercar with a more aggressive aerodynamics package have also been spotted testing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Ford is looking to usurp long-time rival General Motors’ Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 after it took the record for American cars at the hallowed German circuit earlier this year.
It’s also possible that Ford could reveal a hypercar aimed at winning the Le Mans 24 Hours, following in the footsteps of the previous GT.
Autocar previously reported that Ford was considering an entry into the top class of endurance racing, with Rushbrook having said it was “constantly studying or looking at where we can race, or should race”. It currently competes in the World Endurance Championship with the Mustang in the second-tier GT3 class.
Alongside the hint at the new performance car, Ford will use its January launch event to give more details of its new Formula 1 powertrain, which will power next year’s Red Bull and Racing Bulls cars.
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