MUNICH, Germany — After 30 years, Ford is returning to the DTM next year.
The U.S. brand is sending a real icon from its program into the race, the Haupt Racing Team is fielding the Ford Mustang GT3 under the name HRT Ford Performance.
The team from the Nürburgring won the DTM in 2021. The 2025 DTM season starts from April 25-27 in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. HRT Ford Performance plans to field two Mustang GT3s in the 2025 season, with one of the two vehicles being designed in the striking design of lubricant manufacturer Ravenol.
The new partnership between HRT and Ford Performance also includes technical development work. The Ford Mustang GT3, which will be presented in 2023, is expected to achieve an even higher level of racetrack-specific maturity thanks to HRT’s expertise.
The racing car with its 5.4-liter V8 engine is based on the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and represents the state-of-the-art GT3 top version of the legendary Mustang series.
“Ford’s entry into the DTM with a factory-supported program is a strong commitment to the DTM and great news at the end of our anniversary season. We are looking forward to the comeback of a brand with a great DTM history and to the Mustang GT3, which will certainly delight the fans,” says ADAC Motorsport Director Thomas Voss.
The U.S. car manufacturer is closely linked to the history of the DTM and can look back on a total of 30 victories. DTM legend Klaus Ludwig won the first and so far only DTM title for the brand in a Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth in the 1988 season.
In the hands of private teams, Ford Mustangs competed in the DTM until 1994. Three decades later, the manufacturer from Dearborn, Michigan, is now celebrating its DTM comeback with the new Mustang together with HRT.
Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports, said: “Bringing a team like HRT into the global Ford Performance family is a significant moment for us. The Haupt Racing Team’s proven success in the DTM is a strong sign of the potential of the Mustang GT3. This collaboration strengthens our global position in GT3 racing and opens up new series and target audiences for us as we continue to expand the Mustang racing program in 2025.”
Ulrich Fritz, Managing Director of Haupt Racing Team GmbH, says: “HRT has continuously developed and improved in recent years. We have built up a high level of expertise in the use and development of racing vehicles. We are therefore very excited about this new project. It is a great honour that Ford has chosen HRT as its spearhead in Europe. Ford is a real power brand with a great motorsport tradition and high motivation. The Ford Mustang GT3 is a latest-generation racing car that we want to take to the next level together. We will start the upcoming DTM season well prepared and are very much looking forward to working with Ford and Ravenol. I would like to thank Mercedes-AMG for the long-standing, trusting and always constructive cooperation as a performance team.”
In addition to the factory effort in the DTM, the team is planning customer sport efforts in the ADAC GT Masters, where HRT has won the team ranking in the past two years.
All DTM races in 2024 were broadcast on SPEED SPORT 1.