Yes — Ford, not Ferrari. And the timing is actually excellent because Ford’s new Hypercar has only just entered track testing in August 2026, while McLaren is further along with its MCL-HY and Genesis Magma has already homologated and raced the GMR-001.
The important point is that all three are LMDh Hypercars, so the regulations deliberately bring their performance into a relatively narrow window. The interesting comparison is therefore not simply horsepower; it is how mature each programme is, how the cars are engineered, and what we can infer about their competitive potential.
Ford vs McLaren vs Genesis: Three Very Different Starting Points
1. Ford — the newest and biggest unknown
Ford’s new Hypercar began its official testing programme on 5 August 2026, with the first public images released from Paul Ricard on August 17. Ford says the initial shakedown concentrated on activating and verifying the car’s control systems before moving into full-speed testing. (24 Heures du Mans)
Drivers involved in the programme include Matt Campbell, Mike Rockenfeller, Tom Blomqvist and Logan Sargeant. Ford is targeting its WEC and Le Mans debut in 2027. (Road & Track)
That means Ford is currently behind both of its future rivals in one critical area:
race development mileage.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be slower.
Ford has deliberately chosen to enter at a time when the LMDh formula is mature and manufacturers have already exposed many of the problems associated with the current generation of Hypercars.
Ford gets to learn from everybody else.
2. McLaren MCL-HY — the benchmark Ford should be looking at
McLaren is considerably further along.
The MCL-HY was revealed in May and made its public dynamic debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, with Lando Norris among those giving the car its first public runs. McLaren will enter the WEC in 2027. (Goodwood)
McLaren’s technical numbers are particularly interesting.
The MCL-HY uses:
- twin-turbocharged V6
- hybrid MGU
- rear-wheel drive
- carbon-fibre monocoque
- 1,030 kg minimum weight
- up to 520 kW / 707 PS
(McLaren)
That puts it right in the performance envelope expected of an LMDh.
And here’s the interesting part:
Ford isn’t going to beat McLaren simply by making more power.
The regulations won’t really allow it.
The battle will be:
aerodynamic efficiency + tyre management + hybrid deployment + energy efficiency + reliability + setup + driver consistency.
That’s where McLaren’s considerable racing engineering experience becomes important.
3. Genesis Magma — already through the fire
Genesis is in a completely different position.
The GMR-001 is already homologated and racing in the 2026 WEC season.
Genesis completed its development programme, revealed the car in March and entered its first WEC season this year. The car uses an ORECA chassis, Genesis G8MR 3.2-litre twin-turbo V8, Bosch MGU and Williams Advanced Engineering battery system. (Genesis Newsroom)
Genesis has already collected its first WEC points, with the #17 GMR-001 finishing eighth at Spa. (Hyundai Motorsport)
That’s enormously valuable.
Ford and McLaren are still asking:
“What happens when we race this thing?”
Genesis already knows.
The Technical Comparison
| Ford Hypercar | McLaren MCL-HY | Genesis GMR-001 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WEC debut | 2027 | 2027 | 2026 |
| Formula | LMDh | LMDh | LMDh |
| Current status | Testing | Testing/development | Homologated/racing |
| Minimum weight | ~1,030 kg | 1,030 kg | 1,030 kg |
| Power | Regulation controlled | 707 PS max quoted | 680 hp + hybrid |
| Engine | Ford programme | Twin-turbo V6 | 3.2L twin-turbo V8 |
| Chassis | New Ford programme | McLaren/Multimatic programme | ORECA |
| Hybrid | Spec LMDh system | Spec LMDh system | Bosch MGU |
| Race experience | None | None | 2026 WEC |
| Le Mans experience | Ford historical | Returning in 2027 | First Le Mans 2026 |
| Development maturity | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
The exact power figures shouldn’t be interpreted as a direct performance ranking because Balance of Performance and LMDh regulations control the performance window.
But Here’s Where Ford Gets Really Interesting
Ford’s biggest weapon may actually be Multimatic.
Ford’s Hypercar programme isn’t being developed in isolation. Multimatic has enormous experience with Ford’s GT programmes and prototype racing, and that engineering relationship gives Ford a very serious technical foundation.
Ford also has something Genesis doesn’t:
a huge amount of endurance-racing history.
Ford’s last overall Le Mans victory came with the GT40 era, and its return isn’t simply a marketing exercise. The company is deliberately trying to bring the Ford name back to the top level of endurance racing.
The current test programme is therefore extremely important.
The first Paul Ricard running wasn’t about setting a lap record.
It was about proving:
Does everything work?
Ford says the initial test went through a comprehensive systems-validation programme and the car emerged fully functional and ready for higher-speed testing. (Road & Track)
That’s exactly what you want to see at this stage.
The Three Development Curves
This is how I see them right now.
Genesis
2025: Build
↓
2026: Homologate
↓
2026: Race
↓
2027: Improve
Genesis has already paid the price of being first.
McLaren
2025–26: Design/development
↓
2026: Testing
↓
Goodwood: Public debut
↓
2027: Race
McLaren has the advantage of entering after Genesis has already exposed some of the realities of LMDh competition.
Ford
2025–26: Development
↓
August 2026: First track testing
↓
Late 2026: Intensive testing
↓
2027: Race
Ford is the biggest unknown.
And that’s exactly why I wouldn’t underestimate it.
Who Has the Best Car?
We don’t know yet.
Anyone claiming Ford is already faster than McLaren or Genesis based on the first photographs or shakedown is guessing.
But if I were assessing them today, I’d rank their readiness:
Genesis GMR-001
Most proven
It has already raced, survived WEC competition and scored points.
McLaren MCL-HY
Most intriguing
The car has already run publicly and McLaren has an enormous amount of racing knowledge behind the programme.
Ford Hypercar
Biggest unknown
It’s barely begun serious track testing.
But that third position is misleading.
Ford is not necessarily third in potential.
It’s simply third in development maturity.
And 2027 Could Be Brutal
This is what makes the 2027 WEC season potentially spectacular.
Ford and McLaren are arriving.
Genesis will have a full year of race data.
Ferrari is already extremely competitive.
Toyota has years of Hypercar experience.
Porsche has extensive LMDh knowledge.
Aston Martin continues developing its Valkyrie programme.
So Ford isn’t entering an empty field.
It’s entering one of the most competitive periods endurance racing has seen in decades.
And that’s why I think Ford vs McLaren could actually become more interesting than Ford vs Genesis.
Genesis has already had its baptism.
McLaren and Ford will arrive together.
Both will be trying to establish themselves.
Both have enormous manufacturer expectations.
And both have Le Mans as the ultimate target.
My early prediction
If we’re talking about who I would trust today, I’d choose:
Genesis — because it has already done the work.
If we’re talking about who I think could surprise the field in 2027, I’d choose:
Ford.
And if we’re talking about the manufacturer I think could arrive with the most polished overall package, I’d lean toward:
McLaren.
But there’s one enormous caveat.
We haven’t seen Ford run a proper race simulation yet.
Once Ford starts doing long-distance stints, tyre degradation work, fuel/energy runs and qualifying simulations, we’ll finally start seeing what the car actually is.
That’s when the photographs stop mattering and the stopwatch starts talking.
