Ford  returns to the top flight 50 years after Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren led the famous 1-2-3 for the US motoring giant at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. 2016 will see a fierce on-track fight with a duo of Ford GT against Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche, with Corvette joining the grid at Le Mans.

Q: Welcome to the FIA World Endurance Championship.

“I am very excited about the season ahead. A few years ago I was competing in endurance racing in the US and we raced the same weekend (as the FIA WEC) at COTA and I took a wander through the paddock and it just felt really right, and very professional. As the profile of the championship increases you get more visibility, and as soon as I saw Ford were on the radar I was probably one of the first drivers to pick up the phone to (Ford team principal) George (Howard-Chappell). I think that WEC is a great place to be now, its growing in popularity and it is the place to be.”

Q: What do you think about the opposition in LMGTE Pro?

“It is going to be fantastic this year with five manufacturers in the LMGTE Pro class. The competition will be fierce and I think the ultimate winners will be the fans because they will be treated to some superb battles and rivalries.”

Q: You will make your race debut in the WEC at home at Silverstone.  What are your thoughts on starting in the UK?

 “Silverstone is a great place to start the championship. A lot of us here have grown up racing together, like Anthony (Davidson) and I raced in F3 a hundred years ago! It is the home of British motor racing, a superb circuit and I can’t wait to drive this Ford GT around there and I think the racing will be fantastic.”