Ford Performance Motorsports and HRT Partner for Mustang GT3 DTM Debut

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29/10/2024

• Ford Performance Motorsports and Haupt Racing Team join forces to bring Mustang GT3 to top European race series including DTM and Nürburgring Nordschleife
• Ford returns to the legendary 24h ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring; Mustang GT3 will now compete at four of the world’s biggest 24-hour endurance races
• HRT will compete under the “HRT Ford Performance” banner in DTM and Nürburgring Nordschleife events, while also joining the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint and Endurance Cup championships.

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct 25, 2024 – The Ford Mustang GT3 has already been tearing up the race circuits of Europe, North America and beyond but some of the most iconic series and racetracks have missed out on the roar of the legendary Coyote 5.0 V8 – until now. Ford Performance Motorsports is taking the Mustang GT3 to some of the most exciting race circuits of Europe in collaboration with Haupt Racing Team (HRT), a multi-championship-winning privateer team, for the 2025 racing season. As part of the collaboration, the Mustang GT3 will now compete in several new top-tier European series, including the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) and ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS) including the ADAC RAVENOL 24H Nürburgring races under the "HRT Ford Performance" banner.

The Ford Mustang GT3 program has made a good start in 2024 with podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as in the IMSA series in the USA. However, the time is right for the Mustang GT3 to expand further on the global stage and this new partnership with HRT continues to deliver on Ford’s expansion in customer racing to include DTM, Nürburgring Nordschleife and ADAC GT Masters, as well as the SRO-sanctioned Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe and other race events.

A key highlight of this collaboration will be Mustang GT3’s participation in the ADAC RAVENOL 24 hours Nürburgring in June, completing a series of endurance races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa, and Rolex 24 At DAYTONA. These legendary endurance races push man and machine to the very limit as the ultimate test and bring the Mustang name to more potential customers around the world.

HRT, whose resume includes titles such as the 2021 DTM Drivers’ Championship and a 2023 GT World Challenge Europe title, brings a proven track record to Ford’s Mustang GT3 program. Ford’s own racing history in DTM dates back to the 1980’s with legendary cars such as the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, along with five victories at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in cars such as the Escort, Capri and Sierra RS500. 

Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports: “Having a team like HRT join the Ford Performance global family is a significant moment for us. Haupt Racing Team’s proven success in DTM and other race series is a strong endorsement of the Mustang GT3, and we’re thrilled to see them take on the legendary ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring 24 Hours as well as many of the other iconic circuits of Europe. This also means that along with our partners at Multimatic and Proton Competition, the Ford Mustang GT3 will now be competing at most of the iconic, 24-hour races at circuits such as Le Mans, Daytona and Spa. This collaboration strengthens our global position in GT3 racing and opens up new series and audiences for us around the world as we continue to grow the Mustang racing program in 2025.”

Ulrich Fritz, managing director, Haupt Racing Team GmbH: “HRT has continuously developed and improved over the past few years. We have built up a high level of expertise in the use and development of race cars. We are therefore very excited about this new project. The fact that Ford has chosen HRT as its spearhead in Europe is a great honor. Ford is a real power brand with a great motorsport tradition and high motivation. The Ford Mustang GT3 is a latest-generation race car that we will certainly be able to take to the next level together. We will be well prepared for the upcoming season and are very much looking forward to working with Ford."

For more about Mustang GT3, visit here.