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Winward Racing Confirms Ward and Ellis for Thrilling 2027 IMSA Season
Highlights
- Ward and Ellis to race full-time for Winward Racing in 2027
- Pair have won two GTD championships and 15 races since 2021
- Winward leads 2026 GTD standings before final Motul Petit Le Mans
- Team could secure third consecutive GTD championship with same lineup
- Winward’s European division won 24 Hours Nürburgring and GT World Cup
- Ward cites preparation for 2027 starting immediately after 2026 season
Winward Racing confirms Russell Ward and Philip Ellis for the 2027 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, extending their #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO partnership into a sixth consecutive full-season campaign.
Ward, also a team co-owner, and Ellis have defined Winward’s GTD era since 2021, delivering two class titles and 15 victories across endurance and sprint formats.
Their haul features three Rolex 24 At Daytona triumphs and two Sebring wins. In 2026, Winward also fielded a second Mercedes-AMG GT3 in GTD Pro for Daytona and Sebring.
The program maintained Michelin Pilot Challenge involvement while its European arm flourished, supporting Max Verstappen’s SRO outfit and winning the Nürburgring 24 Hours and GTWC Europe Endurance Cup.
Maro Engel sits second in DTM entering Hockenheimring’s finale. Stateside, Winward leads the 2026 GTD standings heading to Motul Petit Le Mans, with a potential third straight crown in play.
Winward can clinch a third consecutive GTD championship at Road Atlanta.
Achieving that would mirror Scuderia Corsa’s streak, and uniquely, complete a three-peat with the same driver pairing across all seasons.
Continuity underpins their approach. Russell Ward stresses preparations for 2027 begin immediately after Petit Le Mans, reflecting an intent to capitalise on stable personnel and a well-understood Mercedes-AMG platform.
Within IMSA’s GTD/GTD Pro framework, identical GT3 machinery and Balance of Performance stress execution. Familiarity aids setup evolution, tyre management, and drive-time calls across sprint and endurance.
The 2026 campaign demanded resilience. Early setbacks at Sebring and Watkins Glen created a 300-point hole, before three consecutive wins post-Six Hours of the Glen restored control.
From 300 points down to class-leading form after three straight wins.
That surge produced a class-leading four wins, underscoring execution in traffic, pit windows, and restart discipline that frequently decide IMSA outcomes.
Recent multi-class examples reinforce the margins. Ford’s dramatic last-lap victory and an opportunistic LMP2 win highlight how caution timing and traffic shape result variance at endurance venues.
With the title on the line, Road Atlanta will emphasise tyre degradation, FCY cycles, and night-time traffic. Winward’s settled pairing should translate into decisive stint-length and track-position calls.
Ward and Ellis will enter 2027 as six-season teammates in the #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
Visual Summary
W
E
🏅
2x GTD
Champions
Champions
🏆
15 Race Wins
⏱️
3x Rolex 24
at Daytona
at Daytona
🥇
2x Sebring
Victories
Victories
Gunning for a Historic 3-peat in 2026 Finale
The Unbreakable Ward & Ellis Partnership Returns for 2027
The Unbreakable Ward & Ellis Partnership Returns for 2027
-300 points (Sebring, Watkins Glen)
⏫
3 Straight Wins
🏁
From setback to streak: Class-leading 4 wins in 2026
“Year after year, their resilience defines the team. Ward & Ellis are making history – and they’re not done yet.”
James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.
