As the 2024 World Rally Championship season nears its final rally of the year, the attention is on 2025 and who the teams will elect to run.
Hyundai have already confirmed that Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak will remain with the team for next year. The two drivers are one and two in the drivers’ standings, with 25 points separating them heading into the season finale at Rally Japan.
The pair would have been hoping for a longer contract, but the future of the Korean manufacturer in WRC is in doubt beyond 2025, with team principal Cyril Abiteboul stating that Hyundai could be run by a private team.
With two of their seats confirmed for next season, rumours have been growing as to who will land the seat in the third i20 N Rally1 car.
Andreas Mikkelsen is not confident about securing a WRC seat in 2025
It is understood that Adrien Fourmaux is ‘on pole’ to secure the third Hyundai seat in 2025 given his impressive performances with M-Sport this year. But the Frenchman is not the only option for the team.
This year, Hyundai have handed part-time appearances to Esapekka Lappi, Dani Sordo and Andreas Mikkelsen in their third car. Lappi is the only one of the three to win a rally this year as the Finn took victory in Sweden.
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Sordo has competed in three rallies this year, finishing on the podium twice and in the top five in all of them, while Mikkelsen has finished sixth three times. The Norwegian competed last time out at the Central European Rally and was running as high as third after the opening stages on Thursday.
But a crash on Friday ruined his event as he finished well down the order. Speaking with Autosport, Mikkelsen cast major doubt over his future with the team given the strong rumours that Fourmaux will be joining in 2025.
When asked if he was confident in securing a seat for 2025, Mikkelsen simply responded: ”No, but we will see.
“I haven’t thought too much about [what I will do next year], I haven’t talked to anybody, to be honest, my focus is on here.
“I come from this rally with a good feeling, to be honest. We struggled so much in Monte Carlo and Croatia to find some kind of feeling with the car, and obviously it is very different compared to a Rally2 car.
“From the first stage, I felt really comfortable with the car and it is the first time I really felt at one with it, which you really need when you are fighting with these guys that are so fast and in the cars all the time.
“In that way, I feel a bit lighter because I really didn’t get the rallies I wanted this year, I got all tarmac, and when I’m struggling to get the feeling, it was nice to come this weekend and get a different vibe and feeling. I’m looking forward to Japan.”
Who will get the third seat at Hyundai in 2025?
Fourmaux’s performances in 2024 on his return to a Rally1 car put him in a good position to get the Hyundai seat and would subsequently give the team a mega driver line-up for 2025.
The Frenchman has finished on the podium four times this year and currently sits fifth in the drivers’ standings with 146 points. Fourmaux is searching for his first WRC win and will be looking to end the year strong with M-Sport.
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Lappi is keen to continue with part-time appearances with Hyundai, while Sordo is expected to step away from racing duties and move into a management role.
Mikkelsen’s future is currently unknown and is facing competition from some serious talent for the final Hyundai seat. It is looking more favourable for Fourmaux, but nothing is confirmed yet.