As the 2024 World Rally Championship nears its conclusion, preparations for the 2025 season are already in motion.
This is definitely the case for M-Sport, who are staring at the prospect of running a completely different driver line-up for next year.
The team are currently running two full-time drivers in 2024 in Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster. While the former has secured four podiums and finished in the top five in all but three rallies, the latter has finished in the top five only once all year.
M-Sport have ‘everything riding’ on Fourmaux to deliver results as they face pressure to find the funding to keep their operation going. As the Frenchman sits fifth in the standings heading into the Central European Rally, he is being heavily linked with a move away from the team.
Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel are on M-Sport’s ‘2025 driver shortlist’
Fourmaux is reportedly in ‘pole position’ to land the third seat at Hyundai in 2025 alongside Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak, which will prove extremely damaging for M-Sport.
The British outfit are now faced with needing to find a replacement if the move is confirmed. Munster’s future with the team also seems to be in doubt following his disappointing campaign this year.
READ MORE: Thierry Neuville explains what is ‘more intense’ about the Central European Rally
Martins Sesks has been heavily linked with a full-time seat in 2025 after his impressive outings with the team this year. The Latvian finished fifth on his WRC debut in Poland and claimed his first stage wins in his home nation at the next event, but he failed to score points at Rally Chile.
Along with Sesks being tipped for a seat with M-Sport, according to Motorsport.com, the top two in WRC2 – Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel – are expected to be ‘on the team’s 2025 driver shortlist.’
Solberg currently leads the WRC2 standings having claimed three wins in his home nation Sweden, Latvia and Finland. Driving a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car, Solberg has achieved five podiums across the year and has finished in the top five in all but two rallies he has competed in.
Rossel is 12 points behind Solberg heading into the final two rallies of the season and has claimed two wins at Monaco and Chile in his Citroen C3 machine. The Frenchman has competed in one less rally than his Swedish rival, but he has finished on the podium in all but two of his rallies this year.
How big of a loss with Adrien Fourmaux be for M-Sport?
While Solberg and Rossel, and even Sesks, are exciting options for M-Sport in the future, there is no denying how big of a loss Fourmaux will prove to be if he does join Hyundai.
The Frenchman has been the only driver who has driven the Ford Puma Rally1 car that has been able to consistently fight at the front and score podiums, as his teammate Munster has struggled to find results.
If Fourmaux was to leave, M-Sport will be under increased pressure to find a competent replacement and then they will be under pressure to fill the void left by the impressive Frenchman.
Sesks has proven his worth in his appearances this year and Solberg and Rossel have been impressive in WRC2, but without Fourmaux, it could be a real challenge going forward for M-Sport.