For the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans, each of the four factory Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GTs will be sporting classic “Celebration Liveries” that celebrates the success of Ford at Le Mans, both in the present day and during the 1960s.
As you might remember, Ford got back into Le Mans racing in 2016, exactly 50 years since the company’s legendary 1, 2, 3, GT40 finish, repeating history by winning the race with the new Ford GT. The racer has seen much success in the years since, but this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour will be the final Le Mans for the current factory Ford GT program.
“In 2016, Ford returned to Le Mans to mark the 50th anniversary of our incredible 1966 win and we celebrated in the best way possible by winning the race. To stand on that podium on behalf of the employees was a proud moment for me and I look forward returning to Le Mans this year to support the team as we approach our final race in this chapter,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company.
When the four factory Ford GTs arrive at the famous La Sarthe Circuit at Le Mans, they will be seen for the very first time in the new liveries, each of which has a special meaning. They will also be joined by a fifth Ford GT, racing in the GTE Am class with Keating Motorsports.
- The #66 Ford GT raced by Stefan Mücke (GER), Olivier Pla (FRA) and Billy Johnson (USA) has a black livery that echoes that of the Ford GT40 of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon that won Le Mans in 1966.
- The Ford GT40 that Dan Gurney & A.J. Foyt drove to victory at Le Mans in 1967 is remembered in the new livery of the #67 Ford GT raced by Andy Priaulx (GB), Harry Tincknell (GB) and Jonathan Bomarito (USA).
- The #68 Ford GT is Ford’s most recent Le Mans winner, taking the checkered flag first in the 2016 race. Dirk Müller (GER), Joey Hand (USA) and Sébastien Bourdais (FRA) will race in the same colors as when it won Le Mans in 2016.
- The #69 Ford GT of Scott Dixon (NZ), Ryan Briscoe (AUS) and Richard Westbrook (GB) takes its design cues from the Ford GT40 that came second in Ford’s glorious 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1966.
- The #85 Ford GT will be raced in the GTE Am class by customer team, Keating Motorsports. The team is using the same livery design as the four factory Fords but using the striking colors of its title sponsor, Wynn’s. The driver line-up for the #85 Ford GT is Ben Keating (US), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NETH) and Felipe Fraga (BRA).
“The Ford GT was created to take Ford back to the world of GT endurance racing,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “This factory Ford GT program has been a great success for our brand and we have enjoyed the many challenges that have come our way during this four-year program. Le Mans is not quite the end of the factory program as we still have many more IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races to go in 2019.”
The new designs will make their first on-track appearances on June 2nd for the official 2019 Le Mans testing day. The 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans begins on June 15th, with fans able to follow the race from inside the cockpit of the factory Ford GTs as Ford’s popular Le Mans Livestream will return for its fourth consecutive year.
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