Adrien Fourmaux targets a decisive finish at October’s Sardinia finale, the last outing for Rally1 machinery, as Hyundai’s driver seeks a landmark result to close the era.

The 2026 event ends a three-season chapter launched in 2022, with hybrid Rally1 cars delivering standout performance and reshaping World Rally Championship competitive dynamics.

Fourmaux, driving Hyundai’s i20 N Rally1, aims to convert prior speed on Sardinia’s abrasive gravel into a complete weekend, balancing aggression with risk across punishing, car-breaking stages.

The October schedule raises rain prospects and variable grip, intensifying tyre strategy and road-position management under current WRC tyre rules on rough, narrow tests.

Execution will hinge on preserving rims and suspension in rutted sections, while protecting hybrid systems over repeated loops that traditionally punish cooling and packaging.

Despite flashes of podium pace, Fourmaux still chases a first WRC victory. The pressure is amplified by the category’s imminent rules shift and constrained 2027 seats.

He holds rare cross-team knowledge, having raced M-Sport’s Ford Puma in 2022 and 2024, then Hyundai’s i20 N in 2025 and 2026.

From 2027, the WRC adopts Rally2-based regulations to cut costs and broaden entries, aligning with the new regulations. Hyundai will forego a fresh Rally1 design, preparing an updated Rally2 package.

That approach could maintain competitiveness if allowances deliver, though the team has yet to commit to the FIA’s optional Rally2 upgrade kit.

Fourmaux acknowledges uncertainty over his Hyundai future and remains open to Rally2 seats, while prioritising a top-class drive if manufacturers and project teams finalise 2027 programmes.

Toyota’s continuity, alongside emerging 2027 projects, will compress options and deepen driver-market competition, making Sardinia a timely shop window.

As the era closes, presentation evolves too, with initiatives such as the helmet camera trial improving broadcast insight into commitment on narrow Sardinian lanes.

For now, Fourmaux’s priorities are clear: clean openings, disciplined tyre usage, and measured risk on rock-strewn crests that punish over-commitment.

A strong score would close Hyundai’s Rally1 tenure on a high and carry momentum into an off-season shaped by WRC27 frameworks and evolving entrant strategies.

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Zane Muniz

Zane Muniz writes across NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, IMSA, NHRA, and dirt-racing news. His breaking-news alerts and event previews ensure motorsport fans never miss a lap, drift, or drag-strip showdown.