Adrien Fourmaux is confident of competing in the World Rally Championship next year despite uncertainty over his 2027 plans.
For the last two years, Fourmaux has been driving for the Hyundai factory team, although the Korean marque is yet to declare its pathway for next year.
Hyundai has already ruled out building a new car built to the WRC27 technical regulations, but has invested in developing a revised Rally2 car, which could be fitted with an FIA kit to compete in the championship’s top category.
When discussing the car maker’s future in the WRC, Hyundai Motorsport president Cyril Abiteboul revealed Hyundai has three options with its Rally2; to move to a customer racing programme, remain as a manufacturer team or partner with a customer team supported by the manufacturer.
Fourmaux emerged as Hyundai’s top performer this year, finishing fifth in the championship, achieving four podiums and his best points total to date. The 31-year-old completed 12 of the 13 rallies inside the top seven including 11 top five finishes and four podiums.
Speaking at the end of the season finale in Sardinia, Fourmuax was unable to provide any clarity on his future.
“You will see me but in which car or which team, which championship I don’t know? But I will drive,” said Fourmaux.
Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: Hyundai
“To be fair, I’m quite proud of the season. We made some very good improvements on the car. I’ve been able to fight on all the gravel events and all the surfaces.
“Ok, we were missing really on the tarmac, which killed my championship a bit to be fair because looking at it with no wins, the positions I had in the championship was quite positive. The guys in front [in the championship] have two or more wins so that shows my performance and I have always never given up on Sunday to try and get some more points.
“I will take a lot of positives. Yes, I did not get a rally win but it will come later. I will put that out of my head because I’m forcing it, it was not coming. Now I just forget and will focus on my future to become world champion.
“We had some very good races [at Hyundai] but I think everybody is a bit sad that we did not win together. Maybe in the future we will see. It is not the end of my career, I’m not saying goodbye.”
Could Fourmaux rejoin M-Sport-Ford?
There is still plenty to play out in the WRC driver market with Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport-Ford yet to declare driver line-ups.
Fourmaux has, however, been linked with a possible return to M-Sport-Ford where he drove from 2020 until the end of 2023. The team has just announced a new factory partnership with Ford that will officially begin from 2028, although the blue oval brand will increase its support to M-Sport from next year.
M-Sport is set to run an upgraded Ford Fiesta Rally2 kit car for the next two years and is expected to run a three-car team, before moving to an all-new car from 2029. Team principal Rich Millener admitted Fourmaux is among the drivers on its wish list for the future.
Adrien Fourmaux, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, Rich Millener, Team principal M-Sport Ford Rally
Photo by: M-Sport
“I don’t think I’d be doing my job if I said he [Fourmaux] wasn’t on the list. We haven’t spoken to anybody honestly since the last round. We have just been going a hundred miles an hour to get everything in place for the Ford announcement,” said Millener.
“There has been no discussion, no decision [on drivers]. Up until now, our driver selection is based on people we think have good enough talent to have the opportunity to develop. They needed to bring some support. Now we are able to be in a slightly different position, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to rush out and change everything overnight.
“The goal is to win in 2029 with the new car. We have two years to get ourselves into a good position. We want people who fit into the structure we have and fit into the team environment and help build the team around them. But also help deliver what Ford wants as well.
“We still need to develop some junior talent, but we need to have a really strong vision and focus on winning as well. That means we have to maybe change a little bit how we do things.
“We also need to think about people for the long term. This is already a multi-year program, and if we get it right and if it works, and Ford Europe’s plan engages well, then there is endless potential. So we need to think about this properly in a clever way. We will take our time.”
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