Adrien Fourmaux says his sights are set on scoring a maiden World Rally Championship victory next year with Hyundai after completing an emotional M-Sport farewell.
Fourmaux’s anticipated move to pilot Hyundai’s third i20 N rally entry was announced last week, just days ahead of his final outing with M-Sport at the Monza Rally Show last weekend, that celebrated Pirelli’s four-year stint as WRC’s tyre supplier.
Before heading to Monza, Fourmaux made a final trip to M-Sport’s Dovenby Hall headquarters in the UK to say goodbye to the team.
In his final outing in the Ford Puma, after a breakthrough WRC season in which he delivered five podium finishes, Fourmaux and co-driver Alex Coria defeated their new Hyundai team-mate and newly-crowned world champion Thierry Neuville by 1.96s to win the Masters Show. Neuville was driving a non-hybrid version of the i20 N ahead of change of regulations for 2025.
“It has been a really good fun on may last stage with the Puma. It is nice win to mark the end of the hybrid cars, it was a really great event,” Fourmaux told Motorsport.com.
“This week was the goodbye [to M-Sport]. There was a lot of emotion and a lot of feelings with [team boss] Malcolm [Wilson] and all of the team. All the team were there to say goodbye, that was really nice and there is a lot of memories at this team for me as I have spent five years with the team, so it was quite emotional.”
Andreas Mikkelsen, Torstein Eriksen, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Fourmaux joined up with Hyundai on Monday at the team’s Alzenau base in Germany to begin preparations for next season, which will include driving an i20 N Rally at Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy in France.
The event will see the Frenchman come up against two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera, who will be readying himself for his full-time return with Toyota next year.
Reflecting on his decision to join Hyundai, Fourmaux believes that the timing is right for him as he looks to achieve his next target – a first WRC win.
“It is new chapter to go with Hyundai for 2025. I think it is the right time and we have shown this year some really positive things, so I think it is the time to go to another level and Malcolm is okay with that, and we had a nice discussion about it together,” he added.
“I’m really pleased to join a world champion team with Thierry this year so we…
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