WRC, Sportrik Media - Adrien Fourmaux of Hyundai Motorsport encountered a critical operational issue during Croatia Rally 2026 when his pace notes went missing before the start, forcing the crew into an improvised solution that directly affected his Super Sunday performance.
The incident unfolded as Fourmaux and co-driver Alexandre Coria prepared to begin the special stage. Coria quickly realized that the pace note book was not inside the cockpit, a fundamental tool for navigating rally stages. In response, he resorted to reading the notes from a mobile phone screen as an emergency backup throughout the stage.
This limitation prevented Fourmaux from pushing at full pace. He completed the stage in fifth position, 12 seconds off the fastest time. Despite the time loss, the French driver retained third place in the Super Sunday standings, preserving his opportunity to secure valuable points after earlier setbacks in the rally.
“Honestly, I don’t know where the notes are. We need to search for them, maybe they are behind the seat,” said Fourmaux, reflecting on the unusual situation at the stage finish.
At the front of the Super Sunday classification, Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers Oliver Solberg and Elfyn Evans continued to demonstrate strong pace. Solberg set the fastest time on the second stage of the day, extending his lead to 6.3 seconds over Evans. All three drivers, including Fourmaux, were targeting Super Sunday points after failing to capitalize fully in the main rally classification.
Meanwhile, the overall rally standings remained unchanged. Thierry Neuville maintained a lead of over one minute ahead of Takamoto Katsuta, with Sami Pajari in third place, less than 30 seconds behind Katsuta. The top contenders adopted a controlled approach heading into the final stages.
“I’m not pushing at all. I’m just trying to get through the stages. There’s no reason for us to take risks. We need to bring the win home because it means a lot for me and for the whole team,” said Neuville, underlining a risk-management strategy to secure victory.
Pajari also highlighted the difficulty of balancing speed and consistency under demanding conditions.
“The situation is under control, but it’s still difficult. It’s hard to find the right attacking rhythm while keeping the driving clean,” Pajari explained.
In the WRC2 category, Yohan Rossel led the field and remained on course to deliver a significant result for Lancia. His brother Léo Rossel held second place, followed by Nikolay Gryazin and Roope Korhonen.
With two special stages remaining, including the decisive Power Stage, the focus shifts to maximizing points without compromising overall positions. Fourmaux’s incident highlights the critical importance of operational precision in modern rallying, where even minor oversights can significantly influence outcomes. The result of Croatia Rally 2026 is set to play a key role in shaping the championship battle heading into the next round.
Baca Juga
Adrien Fourmaux menghadapi insiden kehilangan pace notes di Croatia Rally 2026, berdampak pada performa Super Sunday dan strategi Hyundai.
Elfyn Evans pimpin klasemen WRC 2026 jelang Croatia Rally dengan rute baru dan tantangan aspal yang krusial bagi perebutan gelar.
Jon Armstrong tampil impresif di awal WRC 2026 bersama M-Sport, namun ambisi tinggi membuatnya belum puas dengan hasil.
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