Adrien Fourmaux believes he should preserve his ‘head on his shoulders’ after scoring a World Rally Championship podium on debut for Hyundai and ending forward of his world champion team-mates.
Fourmaux impressed all through final weekend’s 2025 season-opener in Monte Carlo, rapidly gelling together with his group and i20 N Rally1 following his high-profile low season transfer from M-Sport-Ford.
The 29-year-old loved a trouble-free rally and was within the hunt for what would have been a sensational victory courtesy of an impressed tyre name to take 4 slicks on the ultimate day.
Fourmaux’s gamble appeared to work on Sunday’s first two phases that have been a lot drier, as he heaped strain on chief Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans. Nevertheless, the ultimate Col du Turini stage that featured sections of snow in the end ended his victory bid.
It didn’t cease Fourmaux from ending the rally as the highest Hyundai driver in third, forward of 2019 sequence champion Ott Tanak, fifth, and new world champion Thierry Neuville in sixth.
When requested about being the highest Hyundai finisher on his debut, Fourmaux mentioned: ”It has been a great begin however we are going to see. I’ve two world champion team-mates so I must preserve my head on my shoulders.
“It’s actually nice to get our first podium in our first occasion for Hyundai in Monte Carlo in what was such a very difficult rally in actually troublesome circumstances this 12 months.
Podium: Winner Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, second place Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, third place Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Workforce Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photograph by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
“I assumed we might have the tempo however when you’re in Monte Carlo you by no means know the place you can be as so many issues can occur, you may make mistake, have a puncture or a mechanical concern.
“To be honest we made one mistake with the tyres on the Thursday evening, the place I misplaced 24 seconds from the quickest however aside from that it was fairly okay.”
Fourmaux, who remains to be but to win in WRC, mentioned his Sunday tyre name was right down to him and is glad that his new group has allowed him the liberty and belief to make such choices.
“That’s good,” he added. “For certain, it exhibits that they will depend on myself and I’m not simply there to play behind and anticipate one thing to occur.”
Hyundai group boss Cyril Abiteboul admitted he was shocked by simply how rapidly his new signing had adjusted to life on the Korean marque and expects the performances to proceed.
Abiteboul informed Motorsport.com: “We knew he was fast and we knew he was proficient however becoming a member of us it was all the time going to take a little bit of time earlier than he may extract 100 per cent of what the group and the automotive has to supply, however now we have seen that he’s already fairly up there.
“I believe with a bit extra solar in sure corners of Turini there would have been a giant push on aggressive tyre selection that he elected to do.
“We now have seen an ideal mixture of steadiness, taking some threat and being aggressive at instances but additionally being reasonable at different instances, which is precisely what you could achieve success in rally and I’m very certain we are going to see him doing effectively this season.”
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On this article
Tom Howard
WRC
Adrien Fourmaux
Hyundai Motorsport
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