Adrien Fourmaux frustrated by his fifth-place finish in Sweden: "We are not where we should be"

Leaders of Hyundai on Swedish roads, Adrien fourmaux and Alexandre Coria are leaving the Rally from Sweden with some disappointment.

Si Toyota While the Korean manufacturer has clearly taken a step forward this season, it believes it is performing at a level comparable to last year. This status quo is reflected in the standings, largely dominated by the Japanese brand this weekend.

In this challenging context, but on his preferred surface, Adrien Fourmaux nevertheless managed to secure fifth place overall, 38,7 seconds behind Oliver Solberg (Toyota). It was a great weekend because it was a great rally. Rally Sweden was a great success; we had superb conditions, and the spectators were there. We had a great edition; it's just that we're not where we should be. he told AUTO that he regretted ithebdopresent on site. But otherwise, the edition was really great and I had a lot of fun on the special stages. Of course, looking at the finishing time, we tell ourselves that it won't be the right one. »

Given the problems encountered – Fourmaux had complained the day before about a shock absorber issue – the Hyundai driver undoubtedly extracted the maximum from his car. At no point did the Korean manufacturer seem capable of challenging for the win.

Hyundai heads to Kenya

Despite everything, the French team maintains its fourth place in the championship and gains 11 additional points in Sweden. Now, the team is looking ahead to the next round, scheduled for March 12-15 in Kenya. The mission is to improve the car and be more competitive. insists Fourmaux, who was involved in the adjustments of his vehicle. My feedback has been listened to for a year now. We'll see what they find. »

For Fourmaux, the 2025 edition of the Kenya Rally remains a bitter memory, having finished in a distant sixteenth place. It was really very unlucky what happened in Kenya last year after SS1. We've put something in place to prevent it from happening again, and I'm much more careful when I start the car. I'm hoping for a good result. he says. On Sunday, we scored all the points. Even so, it was a points-scoring rally. »

Adrien Fourmaux, however, approaches the third round of the season with serenity. It's a rally I really enjoy. I had a podium finish there in 2024. Last year, we performed well while also managing our resources. There's also a management aspect to it in Kenya. explains the Northerner. A lot can happen: punctures, problems with the rain. It's going to be quite an event. However, we mustn't overreact to what happened in the first two races. This is the kind of rally where, if we go in with too much pressure, the car will let us down. We'll have to find the right balance. ».

The Safari Rally's characteristics should also be better suited to the Hyundai chassis, which struggled on the Swedish snow. The choice was not made for the start of the season, but rather for the end, where there will be many gravel rallies. explains Andrew Wheatley, team manager. We knew that it would compromise Sweden a little, perhaps more than expected. "It remains to be seen whether the gamble will pay off."

Interview conducted by Pierre Barré, in Sweden. 

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