WRC
Fourmaux and Solberg take confidence from productive Monte-Carlo warm-up
Adrien Fourmaux and Oliver Solberg both say last weekend’s Rallye National Hivernal du Dévoluy delivered exactly what they needed as preparations intensify for the 2026 WRC opener in Monte Carlo.
Held just days after the Saudi Arabia season finale, the 10-stage French asphalt event offered 125km of mixed wet and snowy conditions - a perfect proving ground for both drivers as they ramp up winter mileage in their respective Rally1 cars.
For Hyundai Motorsport’s Fourmaux, Dévoluy marked the one-year anniversary of his debut in the i20 N Rally1. Just as he did 12 months ago, the Frenchman came away with victory, winning six stages on his way to finishing 14.7sec ahead of Solberg in the updated i20 N Rally1 Evo. More important than the result, however, was the progress made on the slippery-surface performance that has challenged Hyundai throughout 2025.
“The plan for this rally was clear: improve the car in the wet and slippery conditions,” said Fourmaux. “We were happy to have Oliver there to see where we are, and then we tried to really work on our weakness. It was quite positive. We still have some jobs to do but Monte Carlo is not tomorrow and we have some test days. The car is going in the right direction.”
Hyundai is expected to deploy homologation jokers over the winter, with team principal Cyril Abiteboul confirming that Dévoluy was a key reference point as the team decides how best to evolve the car ahead of Monte Carlo.
© WRC
For Solberg, the rally represented a different kind of milestone. The Swede - who will graduate to Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Rally1 line-up next year - was contesting his first asphalt event in the GR Yaris Rally1. Despite acknowledging some nerves beforehand, Solberg took four stage wins and left with a clear sense of what he now needs from both himself and the car.
“I was a little bit more nourvous than excited,” he admitted. “The sensation on asphalt is different. On gravel it feels quite natural but here you need to understand. You need to learn the aero and trust it because here you have a lot of grip. I started with a basic set-up and had to feel my way into it, but now I have an idea in my head for what I need and what I want.”
Solberg will complete one more pre-event asphalt test before the WRC field heads to Monte Carlo on 22 - 25 January, with Dévoluy already having delivered the clarity he was looking for.
