Most team placements for next season have yet to be announced, making this a good time to examine the current team and driver situation.
Hyundai
Hyundai is currently the only WRC team to have confirmed two drivers for next season. Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak will continue to lead Hyundai’s Rally1 cars in 2025.
However, the third Hyundai car remains a question mark. The team hasn’t clarified whether it will continue with multiple drivers or bring in a single driver for a full season to handle the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car.
M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux has recently been strongly linked with Hyundai’s third driver position. Fourmaux has stated that he knows he’ll be driving all races next year in a Rally1 car, which suggests that if he joins Hyundai, no other drivers will be fielded in the third car.
Should Fourmaux move to Hyundai, it would close the door for Esapekka Lappi and Andreas Mikkelsen in Hyundai’s third car. Dani Sordo, meanwhile, has been rumoured to be transitioning to a team prinicipal role if Hyundai Motorsport’s Cyril Abiteboul, who holds a significant role in Hyundai Motorsport, chooses to reduce his workload.
Alternatively, Hyundai hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of fielding four cars next season, which could open the door once more for Lappi and Mikkelsen.
Toyota
Toyota has only confirmed one driver so far: Kalle Rovanperä. The Finnish driver, who competed in only about half of this season’s rallies, will return as a full-time driver next year and aim for the championship once again.
It’s expected that Elfyn Evans will also continue as a full-time driver for Toyota. Additionally, it’s highly likely that Sebastien Ogier will race part-time, while Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta is set to compete in all events.
Ogier has expressed his satisfaction with his role as a part-time driver. If he wishes to continue, it’s in Toyota’s best interest to keep him, given the strong performances he can deliver, despite recent errors.
Katsuta has yet to truly shine as a Toyota driver, but he shows potential. Toyota is eager for a Japanese WRC-event winner and eventual champion, which is a significant factor in Katsuta’s favour.
Sami Pajari is also vying for a place in Toyota’s lineup and could share a car with Ogier throughout the season. No other driver has been seriously considered for this role.
Pajari delivered impressive performances in his three Rally1 outings this year, leading team principal Jari-Matti Latvala to hint strongly that Pajari is likely to secure a spot.
M-Sport Ford
The British team’s top hope is to retain Adrien Fourmaux. M-Sport is already aware of the answer to this critical question, but it has yet to disclose where Fourmaux will be drawing his salary from next season.
If Fourmaux changes teams, M-Sport will need to find new talent for the Ford Puma. One potential candidate is Oliver Solberg, who has already tested his skills in the top class. Solberg has raw speed and has matured as a driver in WRC2 over the last couple of years.
Gregoire Munster hasn’t particularly dazzled with Ford’s Rally1 equipment this year, but recent performances have shown glimpses of improvement. Munster’s continuation largely depends on whether his backer, Jourdan Serderidis, is willing to continue financially supporting his career. Munster’s performances thus far haven’t warranted a paid or even unpaid position.
Meanwhile, Martins Sesks has already been integrated into M-Sport. He had three starts with the Ford Puma this season – twice without the hybrid unit and once, in his home rally in Latvia, with hybrid power. Sesks is a promising driver and a great marketing figure, factors that could work in favour of the Latvian.
Wildcard from France
Yohan Rossel, who fought for the WRC2 title nearly to the end, is hoping for a Rally1 seat. Many experts close to the sport also wish to see Rossel given a chance.
Rossel has strong ties to Citroën and the Stellantis group, though unfortunately, they don’t have a top-class car. This means Rossel will need to look elsewhere.
Toyota has been ruled out for Rossel. M-Sport Ford could be an interesting option, though he’d likely need to bring funding. With enough backing, a seat at M-Sport could certainly be secured.
If Hyundai continues with multiple drivers in one of their cars, Rossel can’t be ruled out as a contender. He’s a true tarmac specialist – something Mikkelsen, Hyundai’s asphalt driver this year, is not.
