– The future of Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux in the World Rally Championship (WRC) remains uncertain. The two drivers are awaiting a decision from Hyundai regarding plans for 2027.
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“There has been no statement from the brand so far,” Neuville told the English version of Motorsport.com after his fourth place at Rally Estonia. “For me, there will be many opportunities, and I’m definitely not done with rallying, that’s for sure. What I will do next year, I don’t know. My goals remain the same: to stay with Hyundai and be part of it. In what format I will be part of it, I don’t know yet.”
Fourmaux, in turn, returned to the WRC podium last weekend at Rally Estonia. After an intense duel, the Frenchman prevailed against his more experienced teammate with an impressive performance, finishing third.
No commitment from Hyundai to WRC so far
Asked about his own WRC future, the Frenchman, who joined Hyundai in 2024, said: “At the moment, I’m driving until December, after that I don’t know. If I have to drive a year in Rally2 and then move up to Rally1 the year after, that’s fine with me. I know Sebastien Ogier did that in the past [2012 with Volkswagen] too. For one year, that’s okay, but if it becomes two or three years, that’s not good. I think I deserve to be in a Rally1 car.”
Hyundai has not yet committed to a WRC involvement beyond the end of the season, as the Korean brand is currently weighing its options for the coming year. The car manufacturer has ruled out building a completely new WRC car according to the new technical regulations for 2027 for next year.
Consequently, the only option for remaining in 2027 would be to use their own Rally2 vehicle. This will be eligible to compete in the premier class alongside the new WRC27 cars from the upcoming season.
Hyundai passes the ball to the FIA
Neuville and Fourmaux were heavily involved in the development and improvement of the Rally2 car this year – in case the Hyundai board gives the green light for the WRC27 project.
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However, Hyundai has also not yet officially committed to the Rally2 update kit recently announced by the FIA, the world motorsport governing body. This aims to adapt the Rally2 vehicles to the performance of the new WRC27 cars. The manufacturer justifies this by stating that they still need more information from the world federation.
The aerodynamics and upgrade package includes newly homologated front fenders, a new bumper, and a new rear aerodynamic element. In addition, the Rally2 cars will shed 10 kilograms from their current minimum weight.
“We expect more information from the FIA very soon. But at the moment, our position hasn’t really changed,” explains Hyundai Motorsport Director Andrew Wheatley to the English version of Motorsport.com. “Our main focus is primarily on 2026. The second focus is the test program for the new Rally2 car, which is slowly taking shape. This will be an exceptionally busy third quarter for us.”
Asked whether the team is building a completely new Rally2 car, Wheatley adds: “It’s not just updates [for the existing Rally2 car] and it’s not all completely new either. There are many parts that will be carried over, but also many significant new components. It will effectively be a new car.”
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While Hyundai continues to ponder its WRC plans for 2027, the situation leaves its two factory drivers Neuville and Fourmaux with an uncertain future.
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