World Rally champion Thierry Neuville said something interesting on the eve of the 2025 season.
“I think we have four to five drivers who can win the championship.”
Four of those five are fairly obvious. You’ve got world champions Neuville, Kalle Rovanperä and Ott Tänak along with Elfyn Evans – the driver who has scored more points than any other so far this decade.
Neuville didn’t disclose who the fifth driver was, but it’s very likely he was thinking of his new team-mate: Adrien Fourmaux.
If he wasn’t then, he certainly will be now.
Yes we are only one round into a 14-round season, but Fourmaux made a real statement on the Monte. Finishing as the highest-placed Hyundai is one thing, but being so comfortable in battle and confident to be aggressive (as he was with his Sunday tire choice) are hallmarks of a driver we should be considering as a contender for this year’s championship.
Not that he sees it that way himself.
Fourmaux made it plain before the season started that his goal for 2025 was a top-three in the championship, and his thought process hasn’t wavered.
“Well, I told you before the rally, I’m there to fight for the championship, at least for the podium of the championship. It’s a good start for that,” he told DirtFish.
Deep down he must believe he can fight for more, but in his words he wants to keep “my head on my shoulders”.
Fourmaux continued: “If it can bring more, I will do it, but I just want to keep also my head on my shoulders. They [my team-mates] are two world champions, they will come back, probably in Sweden, we’ll see. So we’ll see, but for sure it’s a good start for us.”
Fourmaux wouldn't be drawn into changing his objective for the year after Monte podium
Those two world champion team-mates were impressed with what Fourmaux managed to achieve on round one, though.
“He did a good job,” Neuville told DirtFish. “Once he was in the game for a good result, he pushed hard and did the job, so I’m really happy to see them [Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria] on their first Monte podium.
“And yeah, it’s good for the team because, I mean, obviously for me and Ott it wasn’t such a successful weekend, so it’s good to have them on the podium.”
But can Fourmaux actually fight for this title?
“Yeah, I mean, it’s still very early in the race,” Neuville cautioned, “so let’s see the upcoming events. I think we can consider only after a couple of rounds to see how the championship is going for each of us.
“But even last year we have seen that drivers can fight back in the middle of the season with all the road cleaning we have during the season.”
Tänak took a more simplistic approach to the same question.
“I think at the moment everyone is [in contention for the championship],” he told DirtFish, “it’s only the first event after and 13 to go, so it’s a long, long year, so I think at the moment there is nothing much decided yet.”
But he too was impressed with Fourmaux in Monte Carlo, albeit with the caveat that he’d benefited from a run on December’s Rallye National Hivernal du Dévoluy.
“Yeah, I must say he did very well,” Tänak said. “Obviously, he was also the only one who had a good preparation with small rallies and tests.
“But anyway, he always went his own way with the tire choices and in the end, it always worked for him. So I would say, yeah, his gravel crew and himself as a team, they did a very good job. And yeah, in the end, I would say quite impressive for the first rally.”
If Fourmaux continues in the same vein of form, he could create a few headaches for Hyundai Motorsport president and team principal Cyril Abiteboul. But in the main, the Frenchman is delighted with what he’s seen from his new signing.
“Did I believe that he can do podiums? Yes. That first Monte Carlo Rally? Maybe not,” Abiteboul said.
“Having said that, it’s a rally that probably was played on the knowledge of all the stages. And for that, obviously Séb is the best. But for the others, it’s probably also down to the capability to adapt to the unknown.
Fourmaux could give Abiteboul some headaches this year if he keeps performing like he did on round one
“Adapt to the unknown of the tires, unknown of the conditions, and in that respect, probably coming with a bit less experience, like Adrien did probably helped him a little bit to adapt in a quicker way than the others to the challenge to address.”
But what about the big question? Can Fourmaux fight for the championship?
“Can he? Can he?” Abiteboul began. “It’s rally one, so let’s talk again. But you can see that you have, very surely, future world champion material in Adrien.”
Whether he can win, however, is one thing. Whether he’ll be allowed to win this year is quite another.
“We will be looking at what is best from a team perspective,” Abiteboul stated. “Our mission is to win the manufacturers’ championship, so then we’ll see who’s best in a position to do that.
“But right now, the first step is that he continues to do exactly what he’s done this weekend, being quick and making no mistakes, which is exactly what he’s done this weekend.”
