The careers of top-tier rally drivers are once again at a critical crossroads as the World Rally Championship transfer market heats up. French driver Adrien Fourmaux alongside 2024 world champion Thierry Neuville are carefully weighing their next career moves amid reports that Korean manufacturer Hyundai is set to withdraw its factory team for at least the upcoming season.
Should that scenario materialize, the remaining option for these drivers would be piloting Hyundai's Rally2 car, which would undeniably put them at a massive disadvantage against the new Rally1 cars and Rally2 Kit versions on gravel and asphalt stages. Meanwhile, the championship landscape shifted when Ford announced in Sardinia that it will officially return to the WRC as a factory team.
However, Ford's factory comeback is still some way off, with design work on the brand-new car scheduled to begin soon. M-Sport will continue to run the program using a Rally2 Kit car next season, while Ford's full involvement will kick off in 2028. Even then, the machine will still be based on the current Fiesta model, albeit updated, with the completely new car not slated for readiness until 2029.
Reflecting on a potential reunion with M-Sport—the squad where he kickstarted his career in 2017 before spending the last two seasons with Hyundai—the talented Frenchman emphasized the need for a well-calculated choice given the long-term timeline of the British outfit's upcoming championship program.
"They undeniably have a great programme coming, but not very soon. It will take two or three years before it is ready. That is quite a long time in a rally driver’s career. I have to make my decision carefully," Fourmaux stated regarding his options on the table.
Although Fourmaux secured multiple podium finishes behind the wheel of Hyundai's Rally1 charger, missing out on a maiden victory clearly continues to weigh on the driver as he evaluates his competitive prospects for the upcoming seasons of world rallying.
"As I said at the finish, thanks to Hyundai we have contested some really good rallies. But I think everyone is a little disappointed that we did not manage to win together. I find that quite sad. But perhaps it could still happen in the future. We will see. My career is not ending and I am not saying goodbye," Fourmaux concluded.
Baca Juga
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