Mystery Monday: Andy Priaulx – Racing For Ford In The 50th Anniversary Of Its First Le Mans Win Is A Huge Thrill

I made a sporting decision to join the Blue Oval, which has an enviable record in global motorsport, for its return to the world stage after a long time with BMW. As soon as I heard about the plans, saw pics of the car and recalled the history, I knew it was serious. It’s a huge thrill to be part of this, especially in the 50^th anniversary of the first of four consecutive Le Mans wins. To be following in the footsteps – or trying to – of Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren, AJ Foyt, Dan Gurney, Pedro Rodriguez, Lucien Bianchi, Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver is incredible.

After hearing it was happening I got on the phone to George Howard-Chappell, who’s guided Ferrari and Aston Martin to Le Mans glory, and the deal was done pretty quickly. Getting incredible feedback from old mates Dirk Muller and Joey Hand, who are also part of the Ford programme, also made a big difference.

The GT class is so competitive now. People are really getting behind it and the thought of Ford going up against Ferrari at Le Mans is creating so much interest. And that’s really exciting for a driver. I feel the passion and the commitment to make this work. There are no compromises; whatever’s needed to be done is getting done. And the atmosphere in the team is superb. It’s a real family team. Funnily enough, I watched a Netflix documentary on Henry Ford the other day, and he gave off the same vibes: a real family guy. And that’s measured in the loyalty at Ford. A lot of the guys have been there a long time.

We’re under no allusions about the task ahead, though. We’ve got a lot of work to do and we aren’t afraid to do it. We’re up against marques that have been in sportscar racing for much of the past half century, so the target is moving at quite a lick. I was testing at Motorland Aragon in Spain only last week where we put 30 hours on the GT, to make sure we add bullet-proof reliability to the speed.

We’re pretty happy with where we are right now and the first race at Silverstone was a good first step for us. The team ran well, George has got the infrastructure in place and there’s a real buzz in the garage. We were even first cars out on track on the Friday morning!

The reliability was there in the race, too, with both cars running in formation to finish fourth and fifth, both on 165 laps. It was an amazing feeling to be hustling the GT round the fast sweeps of Silverstone. Just looking at the car, you realise how much technology and innovation has gone into it. And, just like the GT40 of 50 years ago, it’s beautiful, too.

I’m a very happy bunny and I’ve got my mojo back. I can’t wait for the next race – at Spa. It’s the last chance to hone our package before the big one: Le Mans. It’s a race I’d dearly love to win. I’ve got a Sebring 12 Hours and Nürburgring 24 Hours win on the CV and podium finishes in the Daytona 24 Hours and at Le Mans, so to win in France would be mega. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got and have fun, too.

Talking of fun, I’m hoping to be back at Goodwood in 2016. The Festival of Speed, which is the weekend after Le Mans, is incredible, with a breathtaking array of cars and stars. Wouldn’t it be cool to head there as a Le Mans winner?

The Revival, where I’ve raced several times, is classy. I’m always blown away by the atmosphere and the continuing history lesson. An appreciation of the past and the legacy that great champions and teams have created is so important. Goodwood does all that so well. And that friendly atmosphere is infectious. Don’t get me wrong, there are some incredibly quick guys out there, too. They want to do well, but have a good time along the way. The events remind me of my roots in hillclimbing where everyone’s smiling. If you have a problem with your car there’ll be a queue of fellow competitors to help out.

As you can tell, I’m really excited about the rest of the year. Bring it on!