2024 WRC News & Rumours

[deephouse]

So 3 guys will lose their job and surely it's the end of their careers as WRC drivers.

As we can see the WRC 2024 lineup will be:
-Hyundai:
-Neuville
-Tanak
-Fourmaux

-Toyota:
-Rovanpera
-Evans
-Katsuta/Pajari/Ogier (Shared 3rd or sometimes 4th car)

-M-Sport:
-Sesks (probably)
-Munster

I see this very bad for the championship, because if somehow some new team find a way to enter, they would not have enough guys being sharp. In a 2 years no one will look at those who felt out right now.

[trykmann]

I see this very bad for the championship, because if somehow some new team find a way to enter, they would not have enough guys being sharp. In a 2 years no one will look at those who felt out right now.

A new team would definitely need at least one experienced driver to lead the car development, but speed wise there are young drivers already knocking on the door. I believe Solberg and Rossel would show similar speed as Fourmaux in a Rally1 car after some testing.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

�� FOURMAUX-HYUNDAI
Adrien Fourmaux will be Hyundai’s third driver in the 2025 season. His contract includes a FULL TIME agreement and therefore Fourmaux will join Neuville and Tanak in all events of the next season.
As we anticipated last August 5, contacts between Fourmaux and Hyundai were already underway but the definitive “yes” arrived during Rally Chile.
M-Sport’s attempts to retain Adrien have been in vain.
No confirmation has arrived from the interested parties (but it will be confirmed very soon) and on the duration of the contract which will most likely have a 1+1 formula: a certain year (2025) plus a possible extension in the case Hyundai will still have a program in the 2026 WRC season.
At this point Hyundai will release Sordo, Lappi and Mikkelsen while M-Sport will have the first driver’s seat free.

https://www.facebook.com/wrctvitaly

I'll be gutted if this is true. But it wouldn't be a surprise as you cant really turn down a full-time contract with a factory team.

Fourmaux could've stayed at M-Sport but then he may never get another chance to earn the sort of money Hyundai will pay. It may also have been seen as a lack of ambition too.

Hopefully Sesks can take his place and he's shown some good speed and a brilliant personality which will help him and the team have future success.

[NoFear85]

WRC Croatia back in 2026?

https://sportske.jutarnji.hr/sn/spor...-eura-15508511

[mknight]

A new team would definitely need at least one experienced driver to lead the car development, but speed wise there are young drivers already knocking on the door. I believe Solberg and Rossel would show similar speed as Fourmaux in a Rally1 car after some testing.

I am not so sure about the constant excitement for "new" drivers. Since 2015 the only "new" drivers that made it to consistent fight for win level were Tanak, Evans and Rovanpera.
While many drivers that seemed like the next big thing very early just couldn't consistently deliver - Suninen, Breen and Lappi being prime examples, not to mention the likes of Lefevbre, Loubet etc.
At the same time many "old" drivers keep the same or almost same level no matter what, apart from the obvious Loeb and Ogier there is Latvala, Sordo and Mikkelsen.

A good speed/result even very early (i.e. Lappi) does not really guarantee that it will stay that way, and even less that consistency in both speed and reliability improves.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Another source of Fourmaux to Hyundai...

http://www.areacorse.com/in-cile-fou...b3PsiAQFjMd6Cw

[trykmann]

I am not so sure about the constant excitement for "new" drivers. Since 2015 the only "new" drivers that made it to consistent fight for win level were Tanak, Evans and Rovanpera.
While many drivers that seemed like the next big thing very early just couldn't consistently deliver - Suninen, Breen and Lappi being prime examples, not to mention the likes of Lefevbre, Loubet etc.
At the same time many "old" drivers keep the same or almost same level no matter what, apart from the obvious Loeb and Ogier there is Latvala, Sordo and Mikkelsen.

A good speed/result even very early (i.e. Lappi) does not really guarantee that it will stay that way, and even less that consistency in both speed and reliability improves.

The issue about the current best drivers is their age. Most of them are already in their mid thirties. I am not sure we will be seeing Neuville, Tänak or Evans driving a full season in their forties. The generational change will happen in 4-5 years.

[deephouse]

If they will have a good and stable team behind, they will drive at least few seasons. But sure one by one will leave and not all at once.

[becher]

I'll be gutted if this is true. But it wouldn't be a surprise as you cant really turn down a full-time contract with a factory team.

Fourmaux could've stayed at M-Sport but then he may never get another chance to earn the sort of money Hyundai will pay. It may also have been seen as a lack of ambition too.

Hopefully Sesks can take his place and he's shown some good speed and a brilliant personality which will help him and the team have future success.

I see it the opposite way, if Fourmaux doesn't deliver at Hyundai, which is very likely alongside Neuville and Tänak, he will be seen as a failure. If he improves his reputation further at M Sport then the others will keep looking at him. Imagine Tänak jumping ship to Hyundai in in 2017 for example, his career could have ended up a lot less successful.

[deephouse]

Of course Adrien will not deliver better than in M-Sport. He will not be allowed to. As usual. And it would be surprise if he would be good in that car straigh away, as no one, even WDCs didn't manage to deliver it straight away. Only Neuville and Sordo can somehow drive everywhere, but they are in the team from the start. One year is not enough.

It's possible that Wilson did sell him out like he did with all previous talents. And manage to increase his value through development and saying how he will try to keep him, but realisticaly they are doing business. If we don't had him and his team, we never had half the grid, we have right now in the WRC. Probably would be Ogier, Neuville, Latvala and some Serderidis like, millionaire uncle backed kids with no talent, and likes of overrated drivers with ''good'' connections. And that way the gaps would be far bigger, dominance from one and killing the sport step by step.

Tanak have enouh time to adapt to the car and team and only in second half of the season he start delivering. I bet if he would not perform well they would reconsider his seat too, although he have one title around his belt and this maybe save him. I wonder what would happen if Hyundai would not offer him a seat this year. Would M-Sport take Adrien along or it would even have funds to run a WDC for another year. Is it possible they got some money to buy out Tanak from M-Sport?