Fourmaux raced in the WRC2 category last season but did not take part in Rally Chile. Therefore, the experience is entirely new for the Frenchman.
“The stages are quite unique. It’s a mix of fast rallies with fewer jumps, although there are some artificial jumps on Friday,” Fourmaux said.
“The roads are really flowing, with a lot of camber, somewhat similar to New Zealand. At times, it feels like you’re in Amarante (in Rally Portugal), and other times like Mexico, as it is changing a lot. It’s a big challenge,” Fourmaux continued.
Fourmaux has no experience of Rally Chile, whereas almost all of his rivals know the event well.
“It’s always a disadvantage when you don’t have the knowledge of the rally,” Fourmaux confirmed.
“Tyre management, for example, is tricky when you don’t know how they performed last year. I’ve seen videos of delamination, but it wasn’t widespread. The lack of experience on the stages from 2019 and last year is a factor, but I’m confident. I’ve handled new rallies well in the past, so we’ll see how it goes,” Fourmaux predicted.
Last year, M-Sport excelled with their tyre choices, while others struggled.
“No disrespect, but I just don’t understand why the others didn’t choose the same tyres. Of course, it’s always easier to say after the race,” Fourmaux said.
Rally Chile ended last year with Ott Tänak, then driving for M-Sport, celebrating victory. Tänak’s tyre choice was clearly better than anyone else’s.
“Being last to start, he also had the opportunity to take more hard tyres than the others, which might have been an advantage. That could be the reason,” Fourmaux pondered.
Fourmaux believes that Tänak’s trick from last year can be repeated this year.
“We’ll give it a try. We don’t have the advantage for this rally, but we’ll see how it goes,” Fourmaux planned.
“It seems like there’s less slippery surface than last year, especially on Friday. If I feel comfortable on the stage, I’ll take advantage of that. Last year, there were quite a few surprises – some drama, like going off and catching the wheel. I’ll need to familiarise myself with those situations before I can really push.”
