Ford announces full works programme for 2024 Dakar Rally

In partnership with the UK-based business – and South Africa’s Neil Woolridge Motorsport (MWM) – the Blue Oval will tackle next January’s gruelling event with a purpose-built T1+ class vehicle.

This will pitch the 3.5-litre V6-powered car against the might of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Hilux pick-up which has secured top honours in 2022 and again this year with Qatar driver Nasser Al-Attiyah and his French co-driver, Mathieu Baumel,

Bosses at Ford Performance Motorsports – Ford’s official competition arm – have stressed the first visit to the competition in Saudi Arabia is to make it to the finish so as to enhance ‘vehicle development, servicing and event management’.

"To lead the charge at one of the ultimate global off-road events – the Dakar Rally – has been a goal of ours,” said Mark Rushbrook, the Global Director at Ford Performance Motorsports.

“We cannot underestimate the enormity of the challenge ahead of us. We need to finish and learn first with Ranger T1+ and partners like M-Sport and NWM, who bring their expertise to bear. Together, we can do amazing things in the sand dunes of the Arabian Peninsula.”

Test races are expected to include Spain’s Baja España Aragón Rally in July and Morocco’s Rally du Maroc three months later before the squad makes its plans to travel to the Dakar Rally.

“Our first time in Dakar will be a learning adventure that will help inform how we compete in the future,” continued Rushbrook. “But as with all racing, we’re not just racing to win, we’re also racing to help build better products for our customers.”

Ford and Ford Performance already have close ties with M-Sport as the Cockermouth operation leads its efforts in the FIA World Rally Championship with the Puma Rally1, as well as WRC2 with the Fiesta Rally2 and the one-make Ford Fiesta Rally3 FIA Junior World Rally Championship. It is also the engine builder for the Mustang GT3 program.

“The Dakar Rally is truly among the pinnacle of global off-road racing events,” said Malcolm Wilson, M-Sport’s managing director. “We’ve achieved great success over the years with Ford in the World Rally Championship and can’t wait to apply this same level of focus, energy and effort to competing with Ranger in Dakar.”

NWM, meanwhile, has played ‘a pivotal role since the infancy of the Rally-Raid Ranger’ at its facility in Pietermaritzburg, helping to develop and build existing competition-ready Rangers.