Fourmaux truly broke through this season in the World Rally Championship. The Frenchman and his M-Sport Ford team were not under much pressure or expectation before the season, but he still managed to secure five podium finishes throughout the year.
In Japan, Fourmaux finished third once again, achieving his first-ever podium in a tarmac rally.
“I’m very happy with my season. We secured five podiums, and two more seemed very possible without our mechanical issues. We managed to be competitive on all types of terrain, taking podiums on every surface (snow, gravel, and tarmac),” Fourmaux summarised his season in an interview with the French website rallye-sport.fr.
“We were almost always in the mix in every rally this year. Even when we struggled a bit, we knew how to bring home big points, like in Kenya with a strategic approach.”
Last year, Fourmaux gained experience in the WRC2 category driving Ford’s Rally2 car. This season, he returned to the top class as a clearly more mature driver.
“Some people talk about a surprising improvement between 2022 and 2024, but looking at our 2023 WRC2 season, it’s actually quite logical. Against Skoda and Citroen, we showed our speed while also being reliable with the Ford. In 2022, the speed was there, but we couldn’t maintain it over an entire weekend,” Fourmaux reflected.
“It was amazing to follow both championships”
At Rally Japan, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville clinched the drivers’ championship. Additionally, Toyota and Hyundai engaged in a thrilling fight for the manufacturers’ title, which Toyota ultimately won by just three points.
Fourmaux played his own role in the Toyota-Hyundai showdown as point scenarios were closely calculated, particularly on Super Sunday. Toyota sealed the title on the final Power Stage, where Fourmaux chose not to push too hard.
“It was amazing to follow both championships so closely. It was a new experience for me to see it from the inside. On top of that, we had a role to play, which made it extremely interesting to watch.”
“It was magical to see both teams together on the Power Stage. Personally, I didn’t want to interfere too much in the final stage. We didn’t improve our time on the second pass, unlike the others, because I preferred to let them decide it among themselves, and simply let the best driver win,” Fourmaux revealed.
Fourmaux has not yet announced which team he will drive for next season.
Rumours have linked him to Hyundai, but M-Sport is also keen to continue working with the Frenchman.
