24h Le Mans
Competing in the LMGT3 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship including the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2024, the Ford Mustang GT3 has been upgraded for the coming campaign. The aim is clear – improved performance, greater consistency and smoother drivability.
The Ford Mustang GT3 has entered a new phase of its development. Ford has been working in the background for the last two years to optimise a car that has already showed winning credentials on the world stage. The engineers have honed key areas to produce a more competitive package, offering greater stability and versatility.
Ford has opted for an evolution rather than a total revamp. The Mustang GT3 remains loyal to over 60 years of racing history by retaining its identity while leveraging the lessons learned from race programmes all over the world. The US manufacturer’s aims were to produce an increasingly competitive car for all categories of driver and on all types of track, from the twists and turns of Laguna Seca to the long straights of the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans.
The first major area of development was the Mustang GT3’s aerodynamics. The objective was to increase downforce and improve efficiency through several visible changes, including the addition of double dive planes. These appendages significantly increase front-end downforce while making the car less sensitive to ride-height variations.
The front splitter and rear diffuser have also been revised to reinforce the overall stability of the platform: a key point in ensuring more consistent performance across different tracks and stimulating driver confidence on long stints.
The aero package is the result of countless hours in the wind tunnel and on various tracks around the world, from Portimão and Laguna Seca to Watkins Glen.
To derive maximum benefit from these aerodynamic improvements, Ford Racing has naturally revised the Mustang GT3’s front and rear kinematics. Engineers have worked on key characteristics such as anti-dive and camber gain to improve the car’s dynamic behaviour.
The adjustments are also designed to help the team to get the most out of the various tyre compounds used, while reinforcing overall chassis stability. Vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics have thus been developed in unison to ensure consistent overall performance.
The final component of the evolution is braking. Developed in partnership with Ford’s historic supplier Brembo, the Mustang GT3 adopts a solution offering even greater performance and durability. Reliability is a crucial element of endurance racing, especially in the 24-hour races at Le Mans, Daytona, Spa-Francorchamps and the Nürburgring.
Testing has shown gains in braking efficiency and peak deceleration which will be especially precious in the sprint formats in DTM and the GT World Challenge. The improved brake package is a decisive move to remain competitive in every race configuration.
The recent tests at Sebring and Daytona capped off a rigorous development programme for the Mustang GT3 evolution and confirmed the progress made in pure performance, consistency and drivability. After a learning year in 2024 and an upward trajectory marked by 14 global victories in 2025, the Mustang GT3 heads into 2026 with unbridled ambition.
Two cars are entered in the FIA World Endurance Championship by Proton Competition. For the Ford Mustang GT3’s first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024, the German outfit’s #88 entry finished third in class, a fraction ahead of its sister car. With the evolution, an LMGT3 victory is surely the aim for 2026.
