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WRC Rally Sardinia 'crucial' for Fourmaux’s championship fight
Adrien Fourmaux says a clean Rally Italia Sardinia coupled with a healthy point haul is “crucial” for his championship fight this weekend.
The Hyundai driver sits seventh in the standings ahead of this weekend’s sixth round of the World Rally Championship and in need of a strong result to ignite his campaign.
Hyundai’s new signing for 2025 can count himself somewhat unfortunate to be in his current position having shown flashes of speed that hasn’t developed into strong results for various reasons.
Fourmaux started his season on a positive note by being the best of the Hyundai trio in Monte Carlo, finishing third in January. This remains his only podium to date after crashing out of Sweden, while mechanical issues ruled him out of Safari Rally Kenya and Rally Portugal, after finishing fifth in the Canary Islands.
Fourmaux’s Portugal exit was particularly frustrating having been locked in a fight for the lead at at the time when his i20 N Rally1’s suspension let go.
Boosted by an advantageous road position in Sardinia this weekend, the 30-year-old has heaped the importance on leaving this weekend’s gravel stages on a high.
“We had really good pace on Friday morning in Portugal, but we all know that Rally Italia Sardinia can be a bit different,” said Fourmaux.
“We got an understanding of how well the tyres are working in the dry conditions; we can push hard and tyre wear is not so bad.
“The surface in Sardinia is a bit sandier, and there are some super narrow passes. It’s challenging because you want to commit fully, but there’s not much margin for error. We need to have a clean rally and score some good points for the team – this is crucial for our fight at the moment.”
Fourmaux’s case could be helped by the fact his Hyundai team has proved a dominant force in Sardinia. The Korean brand has only be defeated twice since 2016 on the island’s abrasive gravel stages, and the team’s pace on the gravel in Portugal last month has placed them as the favourites for victory this weekend.
"Rally de Portugal was a big step forward for us. We had pace from the start, but reliability setbacks cost us a stronger result and remain a factor that can still hurt performance,” said Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul.
“Even so, there’s clear momentum we’ll take into Sardinia. This is our second consecutive rough gravel event, and we know how to win here.
“We need a strong team result, and I know all three of our crews will be pushing for that. We know the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 should have front-running pace in Sardinia, as demonstrated in Portugal, and the top step is our goal.”
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