WRC
Fourmaux proud of 2026 season despite missing maiden WRC win
Adrien Fourmaux says he can take pride in his 2026 season despite falling short of his goal of securing a maiden FIA World Rally Championship victory.
The Frenchman challenged for victories on several occasions as he emerged as Hyundai Motorsport’s most consistent performer during the campaign.
The 31-year-old finished fifth in the championship standings, matching his best result from 2024, with four podiums and his highest points total to date. He ended the season 49 points clear of more experienced team-mate Thierry Neuville and also finished ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Takamoto Katsuta, who claimed two victories during the campaign.
But Fourmaux suffered several setbacks while fighting for wins. At Rally Italia Sardegna, he was just 0.4sec from the lead when the first of two tyre issues struck. In Paraguay, he was 7.5sec adrift when he had to stop to change a wheel.
Catching the worst of the heavy rain hampered his victory bid in Finland, while he led early in Greece before tyre dramas hit. He was also in command in Portugal before a spin was followed by a double puncture.
Despite those setbacks, Fourmaux and co-driver Alexandre Coria proved to be among the season’s most consistent crews, finishing 12 of the 13 rallies inside the top seven, including 11 top-five results.
“To be fair, I’m quite proud of the season,” said Fourmaux.
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“We made some very good improvements on the car. I’ve been able to fight on all the gravel events and all the surfaces.
“OK, we were really missing on Tarmac, which killed my championship a bit, to be fair, because looking at it with no wins, the position I had in the championship was quite positive. The guys in front [in the championship] have two or more wins, so that shows my performance. I have never given up on Sunday to try and get some more points.
“I will take a lot of positives. Yes, I did not get a rally win, but it will come later. I will put that out of my head because I was forcing it and it was not coming. Now I will just forget and focus on my future to become world champion.
“We had some very good races [at Hyundai], but I think everybody is a bit sad that we did not win together. Maybe in the future we will see. It is not the end of my career. I’m not saying goodbye.”
While Hyundai’s plans for 2027 – and Fourmaux’s own future – are yet to be determined, he remains confident he will continue competing.
“You will see me, but in which car or which team, which championship, I don’t know. But I will drive,” he added.
