Tom Blomqvist contends that the combined know-how he shares with Nick Yelloly, gained from working with an ORECA-based LMDh, served as a key selling proposition for Ford in securing Hypercar seats in the FIA World Endurance Championship and will be instrumental in shaping the project’s progression.
Earlier this month, the two Meyer Shank Racing Acura GTP pilots were named together with Matt Campbell of Porsche, reigning IMSA GTP champion, as the last trio to complete Ford’s driver lineup for its inaugural season in the WEC’s premier Hypercar category.
Campbell arrives with a background in developing the Multimatic-built Porsche 963, whereas Blomqvist began his stint with Acura during the early ARX-06 program, and Yelloly—whose top-level career began with the Dallara-based BMW M Hybrid V8—linked up with Blomqvist at Acura Meyer Shank Racing the previous season.
In conversation with Sportscar365, Blomqvist suggested Ford should be able to accelerate quickly, leveraging much of what they’ve already learned.
“Over the years, we’ve experimented with numerous approaches,” he noted. “At the core, the chassis backbone and the suspension remain largely consistent.”
“I expect many elements to translate, and I’m aware of several areas we can bypass in order to avoid time-wasting experiments, focusing instead on potential weak spots while the car is still new and improvable.”
“That notion represents a significant selling point for Ford, and it aligns with my enthusiasm for joining a new manufacturer in Hypercar, aligning with ORECA. I felt I could contribute more value here than in other avenues.”
“I’m thankful they recognized that, and with Nick and Matt—each carrying extensive Porsche know-how—we’re aware of the level of success they’ve sustained in WEC as well as IMSA.”
“They’ve done an excellent job harnessing the ORECA platform to our benefit.”
“In the previous couple of years we’ve been refining the new aero configuration introduced to Acura and piloting that machine, so we’re familiar with what we’ve already asked for in the current program and what we might adopt as a starting point for this project.”
“That sort of groundwork accelerates early development, particularly the initial setup development you undertake,” Blomqvist added.
“We can’t rush those early phases because reliability across certain systems takes precedence. I believe the foundations in that domain should be solid from the outset.”
“Undoubtedly there’s a massive workload ahead, including rebuilding the software stack from the ground up.”
“Our starting point with Acura marked the first LMDh chassis with ORECA, and they’ve since accumulated years of collaboration. The minor glitches and reliability hiccups that popped up over time have been addressed.”
“Look at how Alpine and Genesis have progressed; as I understand it, their issues stem from their own teams rather than an ORECA limitation.”
“We’re optimistic that another development cycle will bring improvements.”
Yelloly believes the Oreca base will be well-suited for the WEC, given the characteristics of the circuits.
“From a braking and approach standpoint, especially with the Oreca, the package is strong,” he said. “The operating window suits smooth, fast, flowing tracks—more common in WEC than in IMSA.”
“There is substantial adjustability, and aerodynamics are notably capable. The car should close up well behind others and stay in the mix without sacrificing too much downforce.”
“In terms of control and race performance, it should be competitive, especially since Alpine has already run the chassis for several seasons.”
“The early progress demonstrated by Genesis gives me confidence that we can prove our intent and show that we’re serious about competing.”
Yelloly, who first crossed paths with Blomqvist in the UK’s junior ranks, believes their longstanding partnership will yield benefits.
“We’ve known one another since childhood—back when he was 16 and came to Britain to race against me in Two-Litre Renault,” he recalled.
“We share a comparable driving approach, a likeness in preferences for setup, dynamics, software, and our overall goals for the car.”
