Pressure. It affects the best of us. And of late, Adrien Fourmaux has been under considerable amounts of it.
That terrifying Monte Carlo Rally crash back in January rather set the tone for a World Rally Championship season Fourmaux will be more than keen to forget.
And that’s somehow fitting, as Fourmaux has effectively become the forgotten driver of the WRC of late, having not appeared since that final day accident when feeling under the weather on Ypres Rally Belgium.
Since then, the WRC has crowned a new world champion, said goodbye (at least for now) to one of the new champ’s fellow youngsters, witnessed an incredible power struggle between two team-mates and continued to deliberate over a 2023 calendar.
The news cycle has continued at pace, but Fourmaux has been on the sidelines for all of that. Yes, he was around in Greece to do the pre-event recce. But otherwise, he’s been readying himself quietly in the background, biding his time before getting back behind the wheel of his Ford Puma Rally1.
And sat among his peers in M-Sport’s hospitality unit ahead of Rally Spain, Fourmaux looked refreshed, chilled out and relishing the opportunity to be back.
“I feel really really positive, honestly,” he said.
“I’m really happy to be here and in Spain and with the team, so I really want to enjoy my time – and I’m sure we will enjoy.
“This will be a difficult rally for me for sure, but I really want to make my best.”
Even though it’s a thought that’s been contemplated for a while, it’s no less prevalent to point out that Fourmaux is skating on thin ice. Another accident in Spain could be extremely damaging to his hopes of a future in the world championship.
That brings us right back to the start of this piece. Fourmaux hasn’t quite been able to shake the pressure all season – but it’s not pressure that’s showing any signs of weighing him down in Salou.
“The pressure I will put it in the tires, and for the rest I will try to do my best and just enjoy,” he said.
“Honestly I’m always enjoying behind the steering wheel so we’ll keep this in mind.”
What a line. But more importantly, what an incredibly important mindset. Find the enjoyment once more and everything becomes that little bit easier.
It wasn’t a rally that worked out for him last year, but Spain – a flowing Tarmac event – should suit Fourmaux down to the ground. All he has to do is remind the world why he was talked up as one of the most exciting prospects around this time last year.
He’s more than up to the job, while also buoyed by a positive test where he completed a startling 255km (155 miles) in one day. That’s just under 30 miles short of the competitive distance of this weekend’s event.
“Yeah it was really positive, I had a really, really good day,” said Fourmaux of his pre-event test.
“I tried a lot of things on the car and it was positive. I had a really good setup at the end; let’s see during the rally but I went on the car [being] quite easy to drive.
“We’ll see if it works.”
