Adrien Fourmaux is eyeing a top three finish in the World Rally Championship in 2024.
The Frenchman comes into the penultimate event of the year at the Central European Rally in fifth in the standings in what is his best season in the WRC to date.
Fourmaux sits on 140 points ahead of the rally, having finished third four times across the season in Sweden, Kenya, Poland and Finland.
The M-Sport driver is 21 points behind Elfyn Evans in fourth and 26 points behind the Welshman’s Toyota teammate Sebastien Ogier, as Fourmaux is targeting his first WRC win and a strong end to the season.
Adrien Fourmaux left frustrated with Ford Puma that is ‘so hard to drive’
A lot of pressure has been put on the Frenchman this year, as M-Sport team principal Richard Millener admitted that they have ‘everything riding’ on Fourmaux to deliver results so they can keep their operation running in the WRC.
The 29-year-old has been doing just that, and it is getting him noticed as Fourmaux is ‘on pole’ to land the third seat at Hyundai in 2025 alongside Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak.
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In Friday’s stages of the Central European Rally, Fourmaux struggled with a malfunctioning hybrid unit. Matters got worse after a shock by the hybrid unit from a jump landing was too severe and could not be reset for the final two stages, ultimately finishing the day seventh overall.
Speaking with Autosport, Fourmaux fumed over his Ford Puma Rally1 machine and the difficulty he had in driving it on the tarmac; something M-Sport will not want to hear amid the rumours surrounding his move to Hyundai.
“It is very frustrating honestly, I try my best but the car is so hard to drive, under braking the car is moving a lot,” he said.
“We are trying many things in the road section and it’s not working.”
Will Adrien Fourmaux join Hyundai in 2025?
Fourmaux’s ability is being recognised and a move to Hyundai would be a great fit for the Frenchman as he will join a team that is capable of fighting for wins regularly.
The Frenchman’s departure would prove devastating for M-Sport as his full-time teammate Gregoire Munster has been unable to match Fourmaux’s results, with him finishing in the top five only once so far this year.
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Martins Sesks has impressed M-Sport during his one-off appearances this year and is being heavily linked with a full-time seat in 2025.
While the Latvian is a driver for the future, there will be a lot of pressure to deliver results if he is to come in as Fourmaux’s replacement.