Adrien Fourmaux is completely certain he will be racing in the World Rally Championship next year, as Motorsport.com reports, even if his exact destination remains totally up in the air. The 31-year-old Frenchman just wrapped up a stellar campaign as Hyundai's top performer, securing fifth in the championship alongside four podiums and his best-ever points haul. He finished 12 out of the 13 rallies inside the top seven, claiming 11 top-five results along the way. Yet, speaking at the season finale in Sardinia, he could not offer any clarity on where he will be steering next.
"You will see me but in which car or which team, which championship I don't know? But I will drive," Fourmaux said. He also pointed out how a lack of pace on tarmac ultimately hindered his title ambitions, noting that rivals ahead of him managed two or more wins. Still, he remains proud of his overall speed across gravel and other surfaces, while letting go of the obsession with chasing a maiden victory. "I will put that out of my head because I'm forcing it, it was not coming. Now I just forget and will focus on my future to become world champion," he added.
I don't think I'd be doing my job if I said he wasn't on the list,
His current home, the Hyundai factory team, is still keeping its cards close to its chest regarding 2027. Having spent the last two years driving for the Korean marque, Fourmaux acknowledges that parting ways is not a permanent goodbye. "We had some very good races 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," he noted. Hyundai has already ruled out building an entirely new car for the WRC27 technical regulations, but is looking at a revised Rally2 machine that could feature an FIA kit for the top category. Hyundai Motorsport president Cyril Abiteboul outlined three potential paths for that Rally2 project: moving to a customer racing setup, keeping a manufacturer team, or partnering with a customer outfit backed by the factory.
Meanwhile, the wider driver market remains wide open, with Toyota, Hyundai, and M-Sport-Ford yet to lock in their line-ups. That has inevitably triggered heavy links between Fourmaux and a potential return to M-Sport-Ford, where he previously competed from 2020 through the end of 2023. M-Sport just confirmed a fresh factory partnership with Ford kicking off properly in 2028, alongside increased support for next year that includes running an upgraded Ford Fiesta Rally2 kit car over a planned three-car entry before deploying an all-new car in 2029.
M-Sport team principal Rich Millener openly admitted that Fourmaux is firmly on the squad's wish list. "I don't think I'd be doing my job if I said he wasn't on the list," Millener explained, adding that no actual driver talks have taken place yet as the team scrambles to implement the new Ford agreement. Millener stressed that their ultimate target is fighting for wins with the brand-new car in 2029, meaning they need individuals who fit the team culture, support Ford's goals, and help build the structure for the long term. With a multi-year horizon ahead and plenty of potential on the table, M-Sport is in no rush to overhaul its driver roster overnight.
