Adrien Fourmaux believes he must keep his ‘head on his shoulders’ after scoring a World Rally Championship podium on debut for Hyundai and finishing ahead of his world champion team-mates.
Fourmaux impressed throughout last weekend’s 2025 season-opener in Monte Carlo, quickly gelling with his team and i20 N Rally1 following his high profile off-season move from M-Sport-Ford.
The 29-year-old enjoyed a trouble free rally and was in the hunt for what would have been a sensational victory courtesy of an inspired tyre call to take four slicks on the final day.
Fourmaux’s gamble appeared to work on Sunday’s first two stages that were much drier, as he heaped pressure on leader Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans. However, the final Col du Turini stage that featured sections of snow ultimately ended his victory bid.
It didn’t stop Fourmaux from finishing the rally as the top Hyundai driver in third, ahead of 2019 series champion Ott Tanak, fifth, and new world champion Thierry Neuville in sixth.
When asked about being the top Hyundai finisher on his debut, Fourmaux said: ”It has been a good start but we will see. I have two world champion team-mates so I need to keep my head on my shoulders.
“It is really great to get our first podium in our first event for Hyundai in Monte Carlo in what was such a really complicated rally in really difficult conditions this year.
“I thought we would have the pace but when you are in Monte Carlo you never know where you will be as so many things can happen, you can make mistake, have a puncture or a mechanical issue.
“To be fair we made one mistake with the tyres on the Thursday night, where I lost 24 seconds from the fastest but apart from that it was quite ok.”
Fourmaux, who is still yet to win in WRC, said his Sunday tyre call was down to him and is glad that his new team has allowed him the freedom and trust to make such decisions.
“That’s good,” he added. “For sure, it shows that they can count on myself and I’m not just there to play behind and wait for something to happen.”
Hyundai team boss Cyril Abiteboul admitted he was surprised by just how quickly his new signing had adjusted to life at the Korean marque and expects the performances to continue.
Abiteboul told Autosport: “We knew he was quick and we knew he was talented but joining us it was always going to take a bit of time before he could extract 100 percent of what the team and the car has to offer, but we have seen that he is already quite up there.
“I think with a bit more sun in certain corners of Turini there would have been a big push on aggressive tyre choice that he elected to do.
“We have seen a perfect combination of balance, taking some risk and being aggressive at times but also being realistic at other times, which is exactly what you need to be successful in rally and I’m very sure we will see him doing well this season.”
