Normally, drivers have only one official test day before a WRC round. Occasionally, a competitor may contest a national rally as a warm-up, providing a chance to fine-tune set-up in competitive conditions.
But Fourmaux is going further: not just one, but two warm-up rallies before Central Europe. This weekend he will drive a national event held alongside the ERC’s Croatia Rally, and a week later he will line up at the Herbst Rally in Austria.
Never before in the Rally1 era has a driver been able to contest two test rallies ahead of a single WRC event.
“We are definitely going to have a big testing programme to prepare for the end of the season. We’ll drive at the Croatia Rally, then at the Herbst Rally in Austria. There won’t really be separate test days, apart from a few kilometres during the shakedowns of both rallies,” Fourmaux told French outlet Rallye-Sport.
Both Croatia and the Austrian Autumn Rally will provide conditions very similar to those expected at the Central European Rally, which takes place on asphalt roads across Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria in mid-October.
“In Croatia, we’ll be starting after everyone else, so it will be a great opportunity to test in very dirty conditions. At Central Europe, the conditions should be quite similar as we’ll be starting sixth on the road on Friday,” Fourmaux underlined.
At the Austrian event, Fourmaux will also measure himself against Toyota star Sébastien Ogier, who is likewise undertaking extensive preparations for Central Europe.
“I hope now to do the same as in 2023, when I won the Herbst Rally and then Central European Rally in Rally2. We are fighting for the podium at every event, so the goal will be the same again. I just hope we won’t be too penalised by our starting position on Friday,” Fourmaux added.
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The Central European Rally takes place on 16–19 October.
