Has Adrien Fourmaux Earned Another Chance In A Rally1 Car?

October 11, 2023Joe Moore
RallyWRCWRC2

Adrien Fourmaux seems like a lock to get a Rally1 drive again next season, but has he done enough to earn another chance?

Fourmaux’s 2023 Season

Adrien Fourmaux has had a decent season in WRC2 and a great one in the British Rally Championship. Fourmaux currently sits 6th in the WRC2 Championship. Having competed in all 7 point-scoring rounds he’s allowed, Fourmaux can only go lower. The French driver only claimed 1 podium this season, which was a 2nd at Secto Rally Finland. He was on pace to win the class at the Rally Italia Sardegna, however, an accident would stop that from happening. In the British Rally Championship Fourmaux won all 5 events he competed in to take home the championship. Becoming the first French driver to win the championship. Fourmaux will compete at the Central European Rally later this month to gain experience as he can no longer score WRC2 championship points. 

Has Fourmaux Earned A Chance?

On the surface, Fourmaux seems like he still has a bit to go to get another chance in a Rally1 car. He wasn’t really competitive in WRC2. Sure he was around 5th place consistently at every event, but nothing has really stood out to say he should be the first in line to get another chance. Guys like Andreas Mikkelsen and Oliver Solberg should likely get a chance before Fourmaux does. However, Fourmaux seems like a lock to drive for M-Sport next season. As the team needs drivers, Pierre-Louis Loubet will likely stay with the British team. However, from there, it’s all open. 

WRC2 Isn’t Rally1

Even if his WRC2 stats haven’t been something that screams he should get another chance, he will likely get a chance. Which isn’t a bad thing and nobody will hold it against Forumaux. As at the end of the day, nothing done in WRC2 really matters for Rally1. The gap between the cars is night and day, you could drive a perfect season in WRC2 and then go and not even finish top five in a Rally1 car the next season. The Rally1 cars are hybrid and have much more aerodynamics than the WRC2 cars. The only way Forumaux will become a good WRC driver is by driving a Rally1 car. WRC2 used to be a decent scale on whether or not a driver would do good in a top car. Now it really isn’t. Truthfully Fourmaux has the skill and ability to be a good top-level driver in the WRC. He just needs to get experience with the car and at the events. 

Lia Block will drive her late father’s Ford Escort Cosworth “Cossie” Version 2 at the Lake Superior Performance Rally this weekend. 

The Youngest ARA Champion 

Lia Block won the O2WD Championship in the ARA this season. By doing this Lia has become the youngest driver in American Rally history to win a championship. As she was just 16 years old when she took home the championship. Lia drove a rear-wheel-drive Subaru BRZ this season and she was unstoppable. Winning 4 out of 5 events she competed in this season. Beating drivers who had years more experience than her almost instantly. Joined by 3 time American Rally Champion Co-Driver Rhianon Gelsomino, Lia had all the pieces to win the championship. It was up to her to make it happen. She did that and made quite a name for herself in the process. As World Rally Teams have started to take notice of the now 17-year-old. Lia is bursting at the seams with natural skill. 

Driving A Icon

Her father Ken Block is a pretty large name in the world of Motorsports. Creating the Gymkhana series, and being one of, if not the greatest American rally drivers in history are a few reasons why he is such a large name. One of Ken’s most iconic cars is his Ford Escort Cosworth. Nicknamed the Cossie, Ken used this car throughout 2019 at select events across the world. The Cossie V2 was created after the first version of the Cossie caught fire at the 2018 running of the New England Forest Rally.
Ken was able to take home first in the M6 class at Rally Legend in 2019 and 2020 with the Cossie V2. In 2021 Ken returned to the ARA full-time to chase his first rally championship. He didn’t use the Cossie that season, however. The last rally action the Cossie had seen before this weekend was the 2021 running of NEFR with Jax Redline behind the wheel. Lia will drive this legendary vehicle this weekend at LSPR.

Her First Time

Lia Block has driven 4WD cars competitively before. Driving in both NRX NEXT and Extreme E. However she has never driven a 4WD in a rally before. Making this weekend her first time, and what better car to do it in? Lia likely won’t push the car to the same limits Ken did. As she has a lack of experience as previously mentioned and the car itself is basically priceless. It’s not something you’d want to risk destroying. 

What’s Next For Lia?

Lia Block’s future in rally is uncertain at this point. As she has made it known she has an interest in circuit racing and has her foot in multiple other series. However, if she does choose to continue her rally career she will likely have a good one. As she has loads of natural skill for Rally and is an incredible driver already. If she were to go to the WRC there’s a good chance she could be one of the better drivers in the championship. I mean she was already challenging Brandon Semenuk on stages while she was in a 2WD car. With Semenuk in an open class top of the line rally car. Doors are open for Lia and she will likely have a tough decision ahead of her. 

The full route and location list for EA Sports WRC has been revealed. Find out everything you need to know below. 

Locations 

EA Sports WRC will feature 18 unique rally locations. Including all 13 rounds of the 2023 World Rally Championship season. However, the Central European Rally will not be in the game for the November 3 launch date. It will be added later in a free update for all players shortly after launch, however. Along with the 13 WRC events, there will be 5 other events. Those events are Rally Mediterraneo, AOC Rally Pacifico, Fanatec Rally Oceania, Rally Scandia and Rally Iberia. Mediterraneo looks like it’s pretty much the Tour De Corse Rally which takes place on the island of Corsica in France. AOC Rally Pacifico is set in the Eastern part of Asia. Fanatec Rally Oceania is set in New Zealand and Australia. Rally Scandia is set in Norway. Finally, Rally Iberia is set in Spain. 

What Will The Routes Look Like?

For EA Sports WRC Codemasters are using pretty much all real stages. However, some don’t use their real-life stage names. The total kilometres of stages in the game adds up to around 370 km. Some stages are more than 30 kilometres in length. You will be able to drive all 204 stages in the four different seasons. You will also be able to drive them in any car. Say you want to take the legendary Subaru Legacy for a spin at Rally Finland like Colin McRae did all those years ago, you can do that. You could even take the Lancia Delta S4 to the Safari Rally, something the car never did in real life. The choice is completely up to you. 

Full Stage List

I could write the entire stage list in this article, however, that would be rather clunky. As a result of putting 204 stages in an article and trying to make it look good isn’t easy. However, I will give you a link to the article from EA themselves that has the complete list of stages

Rally Poland will return to the World Rally Championship next season for the first time since 2017. Find out more below. 

Making A Return

It has been confirmed that Rally Poland will return for the 2024 WRC season. The fast gravel roads of Poland last appeared in the World Rally Championship in 2017. Before it was taken off the calendar due to issues with safety. The event has a long WRC history, with it first being run in 1921, although wasn’t on the WRC calendar at that time. As the WRC didn’t exist at the time. Poland first appeared on the WRC calendar in 1973 as a one-off event. It would remain absent until 2009 when Mikko Hirvonen won the event. Then Poland was absent again until 2014 when it made 4 consecutive WRC appearances. Sebastien Ogier won in both 2014 and 2015, while Andreas Mikkelsen won in 2016 and Thierry Neuville in 2017. 

When Will Rally Poland Be Run?

The date for the event is the 27th through 30th of June 2024. This means it’ll run at basically the same time Safari Rally Kenya ran this year. Rally Poland will run as one of three consecutive high-speed events. The other two are Rally Latvia and Rally Finland. Latvia also joins the WRC in 2024, after being an ERC mainstay. If you’re wondering about Safari Rally Kenya don’t worry the event will still be run. 

When Will The 2024 WRC Calendar Be Released?

Now that we know all 13 rounds that will be on the 2024 WRC calendar, where is it? The simple answer is, that it still has yet to be approved by the FIA. However there is a date the calendar has to be approved by. That date is the 19th of October before the FIA World Motor Sport Council on that day. 

The entry list for the Central European Rally has been released. Grégoire Munster is set to compete for the second time in a Rally1 car at the event. 

Another Chance

Grégoire Munster will get another chance in a Rally1 car at the first-ever Central European Rally. Munster got a chance to drive a Rally1 car at Rally Chile BioBio courtesy of his friend Jourdan Serderidis. Why is Munster getting another chance? And what does this mean for the Luxembourgish driver? 

Why Is Munster Getting Another Drive?

The car Munster drove in Chile and will drive at the Central European Rally is owned by Serderidis. Meaning it’s his choice who drives the car and when. Munster had a decently good showing at Rally Chile BioBio. Sure he was still seconds off the pace of the other Rally1 drivers, besides Alberto Heller who was also making his Rally1 debut at the event. Munster probably would’ve had a top-10 result if it wasn’t for a double puncture on the second day of the event. Coincidentally Munster will be the only Rally1 driver with experience at the event’s three locations. As Munster has competed at rallies in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. 

What This Means For Munster

What another drive in a Rally1 car will mean for Munster will be determined in some time. However, we can make some guesses as to where it will lead. Munster has said he is using the events in the Rally1 car to gain knowledge to become more competitive in WRC2. As he is lacking top-class knowledge that guys like Oliver Solberg and Andreas Mikkelsen have. On the flip side what could come from this may have nothing to do with WRC2 at all. As M-Sport has no signed drivers for next season, so there may be a spot for Munster on the team next season. It’s probably a long shot, as Munster isn’t the most experienced driver available. However, M-Sport could bring in Munster on a part-time drive and have him compete in WRC2 at events he’s not driving a rally1 car. Jourdan Serderidis could also give Munster this opportunity. 

With Ott Tänak’s departure from M-Sport being confirmed, what should the team’s next step be? 

What’s Next For M-Sport?

The next step for M-Sport is a bit uncertain right now. As who will be available out of the current Rally1 drivers is unknown. M-Sports’ best current option is to plan to roster a team of inexperienced drivers. It’s likely Pierrr-Louis Loubet will stay with the team, and there’s a 90% chance British Rally Champion Adrien Fourmaux will join him. There’s a chance Esapekka Lappi could rejoin the team, however, how the relationship is between Lappi and M-Sport is unknown. Andreas Mikkelsen might be their best chance of getting an experienced driver in their line-up. Mikkelsen looks like he’s on pace to win the WRC2 championship this season. However, I don’t think M-Sport will push to add an experienced driver besides Sebastien Loeb in a part-time role. 

A Young Line-Up

M-Sport could use the 2024 season to give younger drivers a chance to gain valuable Rally1 experience. Much like they did with Fourmaux, Greensmith and others last season. M-Sport doesn’t have the budget to sign a championship contender and develop the car, they proved that this season. Even with backing from Redbull, it’s not enough. Going down the route of developing the next line of Rally1 drivers may be the way for M-Sport. As if you can’t bring in a developed talent why not make your own, or at least try. There are options out there for drivers who could become the next big star for M-Sport. In the past M-Sport has done decently well at developing new drivers, namely Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans. 

Who Could Join M-Sport?

As previously mentioned the most likely drivers M-Sport will have are Pierre-Louis Loubet and Adrien Fourmaux. There are also drivers like Yohan Rossel, Nikolay Gryazin, and Grégoire Munster among others who could use a chance in a Rally1 car for a few rallies. There’s also a chance Gus Greensmtih could return to the team for the same reason. All these drivers are on the younger side and have loads of talent. It’s likely if any of them were to get a drive in a Puma next season they’ll have to pay for it. Munster is already getting Rally1 experience this year. Driving at Rally Chile BioBio and the Central European Rally. Although Munster is getting the opportunity through his friend Jourdan Serderidis. Oliver Solberg is noticeably missing from the list of drivers mentioned but why? The answer is simple, it’s due to sponsorship reasons. It’s believed M-Sport will be sponsored by Redbull once again next season. Solberg is sponsored by Monster Energy. Due to this Solberg likely won’t get a drive with M-Sport unless they aren’t sponsored by Redbull. 

With Ott Tänak reportedly rejoining Hyundai next season, who should get a part-time drive with the team? Find out below. 

Dani Sordo

Dani Sordo has been with Hyundai since they rejoined the WRC in 2014. The only other driver that has been with the team since then is Thierry Neuville. Is this the end of Sordo’s near decade-long run with Hyundai? It’s possible. As Sordo is 40 years old currently. It’s already been confirmed Sordo will be with Hyundai next season, however, it wasn’t specified if that was for a driving role or a different role. Sordo hasn’t had the greatest 2023 season, at least in comparison to 2022. Last season Sordo was pretty much a lock for a third-place finish at any event he competed in. If Sordo wants a part-time drive next season there’s a 99% chance he will get it. It’s not really even a question. The main question here is does Sordo want it? It’s a coin toss if he’ll want another part-time drive. 

Esapekka Lappi

Esapekka Lappi is currently a full-time driver for Hyundai. However, with Tänak rejoining the team it forces him into either a part-time role or out of the team. Lappi came to Hyundai for a full-time drive, something he likely thought would continue past this season. Otherwise, he likely wouldn’t have left Toyota last offseason. Lappi has had a decent 2023 season so far. The Fin has finished on the podium 4 times so far this season, including three consecutive podium finishes between the Croatia Rally and Rally Italia Sardegna. Lappi has the talent and the skills to be a full-time driver but with the current state of the WRC, it’s unlikely he gets a full-time drive elsewhere.
He could go back to M-Sport and be the top guy there. Lappi’s options are going to be limited, he could potentially go back to Toyota and drive part-time for them again, but then that would either take away from Takamoto Katsuta or another young driver. Lappi will have a lot of thinking to do in a short period of time. 

Teemu Suninen 

What a story Teemu Suninen has been this season. Suninen was pushed down to WRC2 last season. After going up and down between WRC1 and WRC2 in 2021. Suninen was given another chance at the sports top level this season. Taking over for the late Craig Breen who passed away during a pre-event test at the Croatia Rally. Suninen has made the most of this opportunity, finishing 5th in Estonia, 4th in Finland and was on pace to finish top 3 in Chile before he crashed out. Suninen will likely get a drive with Hyundai next season once again. As he has shown pace and has learned and gotten used to the car rather quickly. Suninen may be able to win rallies or at least finish on or close to the podium consistently for Hyundai. 

A Tough Choice

Hyundai is gonna have a tough choice to make before next season. Especially if all three drivers want a part-time drive with the team. All three drivers have their benefits and reasons they should get the drive. The most likely drivers to get the role will be Suninen and Lappi. Sordo will likely call it quits. However, a lot can change between now and the start of the 2024 season. 

Ott Tänak Reportedly Rejoining Hyundai For 2024 Season

Ott Tänak is reportedly rejoining the Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT for the 2024 season. Find out more below. 

After One Year

Tänak left Hyundai last offseason after competing with the team since 2020. Tänak’s departure from the team was pretty much known before it was announced. As he and teammate Thierry Neuville didn’t have the best relationship at the time. With the team heavily favoring Neuville, even when Tänak had a strong chance at winning the drivers championship. Tänak had made some comments to the media about the situation and mainly Neuville, although they did not directly mention Neuville. Regardless of the dispute, Tänak and Neuville still reportedly have loads of respect for each other. Tänak moved back to M-Sport after leaving Hyundai and that move hasn’t been the greatest. With the Puma Rally1 encountering many reliability issues throughout the season. 

Why Is Tänak Rejoining Hyundai?

It’s no secret Hyundai’s i20 has reliability issues much like M-Sport Puma. However, Tänak is currently the most successful driver in that car. Winning 3 of the 5 events the car has won at. Tänak had a chance at winning last years championship until Hyundai chose to let Neuville win EKO Acropolis Rally Greece over Tänak. For Tänak rejoining Hyundai is almost a no-brainer if you look past the issues with Neuville and such. As joining Hyundai gives Tänak a chance at winning the championship. Sure the car won’t be suited to his driving style, that didn’t stop him last season, however. To be completely honest, being at M-Sport didn’t give Tänak much of a hope of winning the championship. Tänak proved this past weekend at Rally Chile BioBio that the Puma can win, but it takes a lot of luck. It is also worth mentioning the Hyundai Tänak left 18 months ago isn’t the same as it is now.

What This Means For Hyundai

Tänak rejoining the team gives Hyundai two top drivers again. The pairing of Tänak and Neuville worked well. You had two guys who could win rallies. Well, this is good as we have seen it can lead to issues, especially when the two drivers in question are fiercely competitive. Tänak is arguably the second-best driver in the championship currently behind Kalle Rovanperä. However, the gap between the two isn’t small. I mean we are talking about the guy who gave Rovanperä a run for his money last season, although that push by Tänak started just a bit too late. Having two top drivers gives Hyundai a strong chance at winning the manufacturers’ championship, something they did in 2019 and 2020. However, that also relies on Hyundai getting a car that actually works for a full event more than 50% of the time. 

What Tänak’s Return Means For Lappi

Esapekka Lappi took over Tänak’s role in Hyundai after Tänak left. Lappi has done decently well this season. Tänak rejoining the team ultimately means Lappi won’t get a full-time drive with the team. That is unless Hyundai is getting the fourth car they are rumored to be getting. However, if they do get that fourth car it’ll likely be used to give a young driver seat time in a Rally1 car. For Lappi, it currently looks as if he will either split the third car with somebody, probably Teemu Suninen or look for another team to join. Lappi should stick with Hyundai if given the chance, however, there is reason to believe he’ll move. Lappi spent last season driving part-time for Toyota. However, he likely won’t rejoin Toyota. I suspect if he were to leave Hyundai he’ll join M-Sport, but why? If Lappi wants a full-time drive next season M-Sport is the place to do it. With M-Sport, Lappi would be the number one driver. Plus the team would be able to build the car around his wants and likes. For M-Sport it also makes sense. As Lappi won’t break the bank while giving them a decently good driver. 

Rally Chile BioBio has come to an end. Oliver Solberg held on to take home his second win of the season. 

Day One, Solberg Vs. Pajari

The first day of Rally Chile BioBio was a battle between Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari. Pajari would come out on top by day’s end, taking a 13.3-second lead over Solberg into the second day. For the rest of the class, it wasn’t the greatest day. Nikolay Gryazin ended the day third, 51.4 seconds behind Pajari. 

Day Two, Solberg Takes Control

The second day of Rally Chile BioBio wasn’t as good as the first day. Sami Pajari lost his lead to Oliver Solberg on the first stage of the day. This came after Pajari got caught in the dust of a Rally1 car. Pajari was quick to regain the lead, taking it back on the fourth stage of the day. However, Pajari’s lead was short-lived, as Solberg regained the lead just two stages later. Solberg entered the final day of the event with a 25.3-second lead over Gus Greensmtih. Pajari fell to third, 43.9 seconds behind Solberg. 

Day Three, Solberg Holds On

The third and final day went rather smoothly for Solberg. Despite attacks by both Greensmith and Pajari, Solberg maintained the lead. Solberg was able to finish the event with a 25.8-second lead over Greensmith. Sami Pajari maintained third. Local driver Jorge Martinez won the Powerstage, Solberg finished second and Greensmith third. 

Championship Rundown

Shockingly Andreas Mikkelsen remains in the WRC2 championship lead after Rally Chile BioBio. Mikkelsen now only leads the championship by 4 points, however. With Yohan Rossel remaining second in the championship. Gus Greensmith also remains in the same position of third, now sitting just 5 points behind Rossel. Both Rossel and Greensmith have one round left to compete. Rally winner Oliver Solberg moves up to fourth in the championship. Solberg now sits 8 points behind Greensmith. Solberg’s season is over, however. Sami Pajari dropped to fifth in the championship, now sitting 5 points behind Solberg. Pajari’s season is also over. 

Disappointing Event For Rossel, Greensmtih

Yohan Rossel and Gus Greensmith went into Rally Chile BioBio with a chance to take the championship lead. However, neither of them would move into the championship lead. As both drivers had a rough event. Greensmith managed to finish second overall, 25.8 seconds behind Solberg. Despite having a rough first day. Rossel also had a rough first day of the event. Ending the first day 7th in class. However, Rossel pushed back to finish the event 4th, 33.3 seconds behind Pajari. For the two drivers, it’s a disappointing event as their championship hopes are likely over. 

Rally Argentina is reportedly close to securing a long-term WRC deal. Find out more about the potential deal below and when it could begin.

Wanting A WRC Return 

Rally Argentina has been absent from the WRC calendar since 2019. The event has one of the longest histories in Rally. First joining the WRC in 1980, Rally Argentina was a staple on the WRC calendar up until 2019. The event would only miss 2 seasons in that period, 1995 and 2010. Sebastien Loeb has won Rally Argentina the most times, winning it a total of 8 times throughout his career. Only two active WRC drivers have won the event. Those drivers being Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak. 

When Could Rally Argentina Make It’s WRC Return?

Rally Argentina will most likely return on the 2024 or 2025 WRC calendar. The 2024 WRC calendar hasn’t been revealed yet, however, it is believed the calendar is ready to be revealed. It had been previously reported that the calendar would be revealed at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece. Seeing as this article is being written just under a month after Greece took place, that didn’t happen. There’s a chance the event will appear on the 2024 calendar if everything works out for it. However, it’s more likely it’ll reappear on the 2025 calendar. 

Where Would It Run?

The event would be run as one-half of a back-to-back trip to South America. With Rally Chile BioBio being the other half. This was done in 2019, when Rally Argentina ran at the end of April and then Rally Chile ran less than two weeks later in May. This seems like the most logical option for the WRC. As it cuts down on costs to transport the cars over twice.
However, finding the correct time frame for this would take a bit of moving things around. As of now the Croatia Rally and Vodafone Rally De Portugal run at that time. It’s not just as easy as saying push events back either. As events only have limited time to run, some may be able to move back a couple of weeks or months, while others may not be. It is possible one of the events could take place in early March. While the other takes place during the end of March this would allow the WRC to have the events go back to back while also making sure they don’t interfere with other events.