Fourmaux: Returning to WRC2 was the right decision

Fourmaux piloted a top-level Ford Puma Rally1 throughout the 2022 season but, after a challenging year which included several accident-induced retirements, he returned to a Rally2-specification Fiesta in this year’s WRC2.

While the 28-year-old is now out of contention to win the championship outright, he believes the step down in machinery has been good for his development as a driver.

“For sure, it was positive for me to go back to Rally2 this year,” Fourmaux said. “The way it’s going in the Rally2, it’s well and it’s good for me because it gives me a lot of confidence. I’ve learned a lot this season and we continue.

“I think it’s less expensive to go in Rally2 and then go back to Rally1, rather than continuing in Rally1 and maybe doing other mistakes or not giving the performance I need. I mean, it was difficult for me at the start of the season because, for me, you cannot show what the capability of the drive is in only one year, and it wasn’t even one year because I stopped [driving the Puma] before the end, but I have no regrets there.”

M-Sport has rolled out a raft of updates for the Fiesta Rally2 this season and there are still more to come, including further upgrades to the engine.

“We have changed a lot of things on the car,” he explained. “We had the new subframe last year, then we had the gearbox, rear diff, anti-roll bar, dampers, engine. And now we have another engine upgrade coming.

“We have been working quite a lot, I have been helping this and I’ve been pleased to work with developing it and showing the car’s performance. We have been able to show good pace and it’s a good team effort, I would say.”