The pace of Fourmaux and his Hyundai teammates was nowhere to be found at the previous round on the asphalt roads of the Canary Islands. But at next week’s gravel event in Portugal, the Hyundai Rally1 car is expected to be more competitive again.
Fourmaux, who joined Hyundai for this season, had the chance to properly prepare for Rally Portugal. Last weekend, he contested a test rally in Portugal, allowing him to fine-tune the setup in real competition conditions.
In the Canary Islands, Hyundai’s drivers were unable to challenge Toyota. Fourmaux, who finished fifth, did however find one silver lining.
“I’m feeling good. The good point is I’ve lost one position in the championship, so it means one position further back on the road in Portugal. Normally that helps – but we’ll see,” Fourmaux told the WRC’s official website.
See the full WRC championship standings here!
Fourmaux made his breakthrough in the WRC top category last season while driving M-Sport’s Ford Puma. One year ago in Portugal, he was in the mix for a podium and ultimately finished fourth.
Since then, the French ace has shown he has the potential to fight for rally wins. At this year’s Rally Sweden in February, he was part of the leading group before a mistake cost him a top result.
If everything clicks in Portugal, Fourmaux could well be one of the contenders for victory.
“I’m really looking forward to this beautiful rally. I like it a lot. It’s always a big challenge. Everybody knows the stages well, so it’s a big fight every time,” Fourmaux previewed.
“But we are here to fight, and we need to capture the opportunity. We’re going to go flat-out,” he stated.
Rally Portugal will be held around the city of Porto from 15–18 May.
