Matt Campbell believes this moment represents an ideal juncture in his professional trajectory to join Ford’s emerging factory Hypercar program within the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The 31-year-old Australian, currently the IMSA GTP champion with Porsche Penske Motorsport, was confirmed last month among the final group of drivers for Ford’s premier squad in the world championship for the upcoming season.
This comes after a decade spent with Porsche that yielded substantial success, including two WeatherTech Championship titles, a GTE-Am victory at Le Mans, overall triumph at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, plus class wins at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Motul Petit Le Mans, as well as two outright wins at the Bathurst 12 Hour.
“It’s going to be a significant change; it will take some adjustment, and there will be moments when it feels odd not to speak of the Porsche brand as I align with a different manufacturer,” Campbell told Sportscar365.
“I’m extremely excited about what the future holds. Even in a quick chat I did recently, I found myself grinning from ear to ear; now that I’m officially donning blue, with everything made public, it feels wonderfully real.”
“Of course I’m incredibly grateful to Porsche and everything they’ve done for my career.”
“If it weren’t for them, I probably wouldn’t be in a position to race at endurance racing’s highest level.”
“Coming through their Junior program, then Young Professional and on to a factory driver role, I feel very fortunate they picked me as a Junior back in 2016.”
“It’s somewhat surreal to think how long I’ve been part of that family. With so many changes underway, it seems like the perfect moment to cross the threshold.”
“Ford is expanding its footprint in global motorsport; they hold a substantial presence across multiple platforms, and there’s a very bright future ahead as they push forward.”
“This change is incredibly exciting for me.”
Campbell, who has recently relocated to North Carolina, believes that his LMDh experience with the Porsche 963, combined with fellow Ford arrivals Tom Blomqvist and Nick Yelloly—who come from the now-defunct Acura GTP operation—will bring a broad spectrum of elite racing know-how to the program.
“I think that mix will be really beneficial because each of us brings different experiences. That diversity of mindsets, approaches, and philosophies in testing will be valuable,” he said.
“We’ve already begun exploring some of this on the simulator; it’s still early days, and there’s a long road ahead.”
“This phase of testing and development can be a bit tricky, but having Nick and Tom, in particular, with their ORECA background, should help a great deal.”
“I believe we have a strong blend of backgrounds—from different manufacturers to various styles—that can contribute a lot.”
“I’m keen to see how we evolve over the final six months of the year.”
Campbell Indicates Willingness to Take on Mustang GT3 Bathurst 12H
Although he is presently confirmed only for Ford’s WEC Hypercar program, Campbell said he would eagerly seize the chance to join Ford’s Bathurst 12 Hour lineup next year if it does not clash with preseason testing.
Ford is expected to enter several Mustang GT3 EVOs at the February edition of the race, an event that helped propel Campbell to international recognition in the late 2010s.
“I’ve definitely dropped hints about something like that,” he stated. “I’d still love to participate in some GT3 events if the schedule allows, obviously dependent on the calendar.”
“I also know they have a substantial GT driver pool. I’ve been offered the opportunity to keep pursuing that side because that’s what my background has involved—switching between different cars.”
“It’s beneficial because it broadens your mindset and you always stand to learn something new.”
Asked whether any Hypercar drivers might appear in Ford’s GT3 program, Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbook did not close the door.
“I’d say the focus remains primarily on Hypercar, but as we often do with our drivers, we’ll move them across different series and opportunities,” he said.
“The WEC schedule still has many open dates, so we’d aim to maximize the time we have with them.”
Campbell also expressed a desire to explore other Ford race machines, given the breadth of the company’s motorsport activities.
“I’m interested in trying a bit of everything they run, to be honest,” he said. “I have a genuine passion for motorsport in general—whether that’s NASCAR, the Dakar rally, or my prior experience in Supercars and GT3.”
“I’d certainly volunteer for a couple of those opportunities—there’s no doubt about it.”
