Competing for the first time in Hyundai’s Rally1 car in the World Rally Championship, Fourmaux is fighting for a top finish at the Rally Monte-Carlo, with just three stages remaining on Sunday.
On Saturday, Fourmaux engaged in a thrilling battle with Toyota’s Elfyn Evans. The pair swapped positions for second place throughout the day, with Evans ultimately arriving at the evening service in second place, 4.3 seconds ahead of Fourmaux.
Somewhat unexpectedly, Fourmaux has been Hyundai’s strongest performer this weekend. However, his teammate Ott Tänak made a charge on Saturday afternoon and now sits fourth, close behind the Frenchman. Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul was full of praise for the team’s new star.
“He’s been extremely strong and focused. He has played the team game when we needed to. He stayed also very calm in certain challenging situations which I will keep confidential,” Abiteboul told RallyJournal.com.
“Obviously it’s easy to get carried away and ahead of ourselves in terms of target and so on. But he’s not revisiting the mission that was set to the team before the start of the weekend. So all has been positive, but again, there is a rally to finish,” the French boss emphasised.
The Rally Monte-Carlo has been marked by challenging conditions, with muddy and slippery roads testing drivers throughout the weekend. Fourmaux, however, has managed to stay out of trouble, and his performance has appeared exceptionally mature.
While many see Fourmaux’s performance as a major surprise, Abiteboul is more measured in his assessment.
“Surprise is probably too strong a word to use to describe our emotion. I think it’s at the high end of our expectation. But if we decided to sign him on a permanent basis, it’s certainly because we had certain expectations for what he’s capable of delivering,” Abiteboul said.
