Ford Multimatic Motorsports will have a radically different driver lineup for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, leaving only Mike Rockenfeller in the lineup for the full 2024 season. Factory Ford drivers Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch will drive the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3, while Multimatic driver Seb Priaulx, who scored two wins with AO Racing in GTD PRO in 2024, will join Rockenfeller in the No. 65.
“Race drivers are the key differentiator in the battle for success on the track,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports, in a blog post. “At Ford, our drivers are more than competitors; they are family. This sense of camaraderie makes decisions about our selection challenging and deeply personal. After wrapping up our debut IMSA season with the Mustang GT3 a month ago, the Ford Multimatic Motorsports team is focusing on the 2025 season. This week we will take part in the traditional Daytona Test ahead of the first major race of 2025 and we will introduce our drivers: a mix of experience, youth and exceptional talent.
Mies and Vervisch were the endurance additions for Ford Multimatic Motorsports in 2024. They replace Joey Hand and Dirk Muller.
“It was a dream of mine to work full-time at IMSA,” says Mies. “I had the opportunity to taste the Mustang GT3 in this series during the endurance races and we achieved good results. The dream is now reality. I look forward to competing with Fred, who I have known for a long time. We know the team and the car, so I’m looking forward to taking part in this championship.”
Vervisch added: “It is a great honor to race in the factory program in the No. 65 Ford Mustang GT3. Ford and Multimatic Motorsports have put so much trust in me, which means a lot. I will do everything I can, together with Christopher and the entire team, to achieve results.”
Priaulx, who spent half the season with AO Racing before being called away to take up his duties at Multimatic, takes the place of Harry Tincknell alongside Rockenfeller.
“Multimatic Motorsports has been my home since Larry gave me a chance in Mustang during the 2019 season, so it’s nice to be back where I started in GT racing,” Priaulx explained. “I have experience competing in this championship and I think we will bring a strong package next year.”
Ford Multimatic Motorsports called on its WEC drivers for the endurance races. Dennis Olsen will join Mies and Vervisch, while Ben Barker will race Rockenfeller and Priaulx.
Rushbrook noted the major change in the driver lineup while also expressing appreciation to the drivers who helped develop the Mustang GT3 and raced it in its debut season.
“Racing teams are constantly evolving to increase success and this infusion of new talent will accelerate the performance of the Mustang GT3,” said Rushbrook. “With these changes to the driver line-up, I wanted to talk about this year’s drivers: Joey Hand, Dirk Muller and Harry Tincknell. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Joey, Dirk and Harry for their invaluable contributions to the Mustang GT3’s journey. Their unparalleled expertise has been essential to the development of the Mustang GT3 and the hours they put in while racing around race tracks across the US laid the foundation for this racing program. Joey and Dirk will always be special to Ford, as they won Le Mans for us in 2016, and while they may not be on our IMSA team this season, you certainly haven’t seen the last of them. In fact, you will hear more about Dirk’s latest efforts soon.”
The Mustang GT3 had some problems during the first races when the team discovered some problems when driving with other cars that did not appear during testing. As the season progressed, the Mustang GT3 developed some speed and the No. 64 found the podium a few times alongside Rockenfeller and Tincknell, possibly setting the tone for success in the car’s second season.
“I am now in my second year with Ford Multimatic Motorsports after a good first year learning and developing the car,” said Rockenfeller. “A lot of work has been done by the team since then, and we are fast approaching 2025. We are excited and motivated to enter the second season of this program with the Mustang GT3, and we are hopeful that we can continue on the right track start. foot in Daytona.”
Ford Multimatic Motorsports is among the teams participating in this weekend’s IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway.