2025.09.23 Hyundai Motorsport Team
[2025 WRC Round 11] Fourmaux Grabs Podium Finish for Hyundai in Wild Chile Rally
Now in its fourth edition since debuting in 2019, Rally Chile brought fast and brutal gravel stages, with this year’s ad-ded challenge: rain. Ott Tänak surged into the lead early on but was forced to retire due to engine trouble. Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux stepped up to carry the team’s hopes—and it was Fourmaux who salvaged the weekend with a hard-fought third-place podium.
The 2025 WRC season's second South American stop took place in Chile, centered around the Biobío region and the coastal city of Concepción. Chile’s WRC journey began with its national championship in 2000, followed by active campaigning for a WRC round starting in 2016. It officially joined the calendar in 2019 as the 32nd host country in WRC history and the third in South America, after Argentina and Brazil. However, political instability and the global pandemic halted its momentum, and the event only returned in 2023.
As in 2023, the service park was located in Concepción, Chile’s second-largest city, along the Pacific coast. Medium- to high-speed forest stages with smooth gravel offer thrilling pace, but the rally also features narrow, rugged sections that demand razor-sharp precision. One lapse, and you're in the bushes—or worse.
With complex corners winding through thick forest, Chile’s fast and flowing routes are a driver favorite. On clear sections, the ocean views are spectacular. The rally takes place just as Chile transitions from winter to spring—meaning weather is always a factor. If it rains heavily, the stages can turn into a mudbath reminiscent of Rally GB. Heavy fog is another common wildcard.
The action began Friday morning with the Pulpería stage. A total of 16 stages covered 306.76 km, all within 120 km of Concepción. Most were mid- to long-distance runs over 10 km, with the shortest being Sunday’s Power Stage, Bio Bio at 8.78 km. This year’s layout was identical to last year’s.
The Chilean gravel is relatively firm, making tire wear a critical factor. For Rally1 teams, tire allocation was capped at 28 units, with 22–28 hard compound Hankook Dynapro R213Ws and 8–12 softs allowed. But after receiving feedback during reconnaissance, the FIA increased the soft tire cap to 20 due to rain forecasts and expected slippery surfaces.
According to Hankook, this change gave teams ad-ded flexibility to adapt to shifting conditions. While the hard compound remained vital for durability, the expanded soft tire allocation allowed teams to maintain peak performance throughout the weekend. The overall cap of 28 tires remained unchanged, and the update applied only to Rally1 entries.
The drivers’ title fight was heating up. Just 18 points separated leader Elfyn Evans from fourth-place Ott Tänak. Such a tight race this late in the season was last seen in 2003, when Petter Solberg clinched the title by a single point.
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT’s Tänak came into Chile looking for redemption after a frustrating Rally Paraguay. Though he had challenged for the win on Friday, setup issues and a tire failure on Saturday dropped him down the order. With an 18-point gap to Evans, Tänak was hoping Chile could be the rally that turned things around. He’s shown strong pace here before—taking wins in both 2019 and 2023, along with a podium finish last year. He said the championship fight was still tight and hadn’t shifted dramatically, and that Chile looked to be a rally that suited them better. He ad-ded that he was hopeful this could be the event where they bounced back.
Adrien Fourmaux had crossed the line in fourth in Paraguay, but Hyundai later retired him from the results—a strategic call. Since Chile and Paraguay were paired rallies, any gearbox or differential changes between them would incur a five-minute penalty. By retiring him in Paraguay, Hyundai was able to fit a new gearbox in Chile without penalty. Fourmaux gave up points in Paraguay, but with his strong pace, the team expected a solid result in Chile. Tänak, meanwhile, was bumped up to P4 and gained two bonus points as a result.
Neuville, who had just finished third in Paraguay, arrived in Chile with high expectations—especially after placing second here back in 2023. He said he was hopeful, given his strong results in the past. Experience, he noted, is irreplaceable, and with a favorable starting position this time around, he wanted to build momentum from the outset. He also mentioned that they were running a similar setup to the one used in Paraguay, so the car should feel more stable and comfortable. Being familiar with these surfaces gave him ad-ded confidence, though he emphasized that tire management would be crucial on this demanding course and that smart decisions would be needed right to the finish.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT brought the same lineup as in Paraguay: Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanperä, Sébastien Ogier, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari. Evans, the points leader, had just a 9-point lead over Ogier and 7 over Rovanperä—but had to run first on the road and sweep loose gravel.
Ogier celebrated his 200th WRC start in Chile. The all-time record is 209 starts, held by Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala. Should Ogier continue in 2026 as a part-timer, he’s expected to break it. Despite only part-time appearances this year, Ogier was third in the championship entering Chile. He has now committed to contesting the rest of the season in a full-on title fight.
M-Sport Ford fielded Grégoire Munster, Josh McErlean, and Chilean privateer Alberto Heller. For Munster, this was his third Rally Chile start in a Rally1 car—he debuted here in 2023. McErlean was making his Chile debut, while Heller, the only South American Rally1 entrant, looked to impress on home soil.
In WRC2, Oliver Solberg had four wins and a shot at sealing the championship title here. If he won, the title would be his. But if Yohan Rossel won instead, the math would get tricky. While this was the last round for Solberg and Rossel, third-place Gus Greensmith still had three scoring rounds left—leaving the door open for a late comeback.
Heavy fog and rain during early reconnaissance runs made pace note preparation difficult. Thursday morning brought clear skies, but the 6.79 km shakedown stage was still damp. Tänak posted the fastest time and noted that in conditions like these, starting position probably wouldn’t make a big difference. He figured the roads might dry out in a day or two, but said it all depended on how the weather played out.
DAY 1 – Tänak’s Blazing Start Ends in Disappointment
Friday, September 12 opened with the 19.72 km Pulpería stage, followed by 13.34 km Rere and the day’s longest stage, San Rosendo at 23.32 km. After a midday service in Concepción, all three were repeated. SS1–SS6 totaled 112.76 km. Heavy rain and cold spring temperatures left the surface damp and slick.
Rovanperä, last year’s winner, took the opening SS1. Despite running first on the road, Evans came through with a strong stage to finish second—0.8 seconds ahead of Tänak. After the run, Tänak admitted the car felt unstable and tough to handle. Fourmaux and Neuville trailed behind Pajari in fifth and sixth, respectively. Fourmaux explained that grip levels were shifting a lot and some corners were still pretty slick, adding that he had a hard time keeping the rear of the car under control.
Rovanperä continued his pace in the foggy SS2. Tänak clocked second-fastest and moved up to P2 overall. Fourmaux, after minor setup tweaks, passed Pajari to take P4. Then came SS3—and the first major drama. Rovanperä punctured a rear tire after going off-line, dropping him down the order. Evans grabbed the stage win and moved into the rally lead, with Tänak just 0.5 seconds behind. Fourmaux followed in third. Neuville overtook Pajari and sat 0.6 seconds behind Ogier in fifth but struggled with a recently swapped drivetrain. “It’s more [like] surviving. I feel like we are experimenting during the rallies and it doesn’t feel good. I can only use this setup from the differentials at the moment, so it is what it is. It’s a big struggle – it’s a nightmare.”
Tänak kept up the pace early, eventually overtaking for the overall lead. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
After service, conditions shifted rapidly. Strong sun dried parts of the course quickly, while others stayed slick. In SS4, Tänak avoided a bumper fragment dropped by Ogier and placed fourth—but still overtook Evans for the overall lead, holding a 6.9-second advantage. Fourmaux and Neuville sat P3 and P4, respectively, as Hyundai filled out the top three. Pajari set the fastest stage time but remained sixth overall.
Fourmaux chased Tänak with sharp pace, trying to make up for his DNF in Paraguay. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
Tänak extended his lead with a dominant SS5 run. He led Fourmaux by 9.7 seconds, and Neuville by 14.1. With Evans slipping to fourth, Hyundai now occupied the top three positions. Fourmaux said he was pleased with the result, noting that the stage was fast and managing the tires was no easy task. He pushed hard across the entire loop and acknowledged that Tänak had been quick. For once, he felt like luck was finally on his side.
Tänak’s push came to a sud-den end with an engine failure in the final stage of the day. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
But fortune didn't last. In SS6 San Rosendo, Tänak’s car stopped mid-stage due to engine trouble. Fourmaux moved into the overall lead, with Neuville just one second behind—but the retirement was a blow to Hyundai’s title hopes. Tänak later explained that one cylinder had failed early in the stage, and another soon followed. Sitting by the roadside, clearly devastated, he said it was hard to understand.
Everything had been going smoothly toward a strong result, and the car had been running well all day with no signs of trouble. When the first symptoms appeared, they tried to keep pushing, but it ultimately led to a catastrophic failure. He said it was a frustrating way to end the day, especially with the championship so close. Still, as always, he would give everything on Sunday to bring home a strong result in the Super Sunday points.
With Tänak out, Fourmaux led at the end of Friday. Neuville, despite gearbox issues, trailed by just 1.0 second. Ogier, Pajari, and Evans followed. Katsuta, Munster, Rovanperä, Solberg rounded out the top ten. In WRC2, both Rossel and Greensmith dropped back due to car issues, giving Solberg a near-certain shot at clinching the title.
DAY 2 – Hyundai Holds the Line as Toyota Turns Up the Heat
Saturday, September 13 opened with SS7 Pelún, followed by SS8 Lota, and the rally’s longest stage, SS9 María Las Cruces. These three stages were repeated in the afternoon, with six total stages (SS7–SS12) covering a combined 139.2 km.
Rain continued to fall throughout the morning, and muddy conditions made the roads treacherously slick. Tänak, who had retired late Friday, was first on the road and posted the fastest time on the opening stage. But with each passing car, the wet surface deteriorated further. In the overall classification, Fourmaux remained in the lead, Neuville was second, and Evans—well accustomed to British mud—jumped into third overall. The time gap from leader Fourmaux to Evans was just 3.8 seconds, with only 7.3 seconds separating the top five down to Pajari. At M-Sport Ford, both McErlean and Heller were forced to retire due to mechanical issues, leaving only Munster still running.
Under intense pressure from the Toyota team, Fourmaux battled to stay in podium contention. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
SS8 Lota started with a steep uphill climb and dropped sharply downhill, featuring an elevation change of 521 meters. Tänak put on a spectacular performance, beating the rest of the field by over 10 seconds, but it wasn’t enough to recover the time he’d lost the day before. Meanwhile, Toyota drivers Evans and Ogier ramped up their chase, shaking up the Hyundai camp. On a stage reminiscent of Rally Wales, Evans closed the gap to leader Fourmaux to just 0.9 seconds. Ogier, in fourth, was only 0.6 seconds behind third-placed Neuville.
After the stage, Fourmaux admitted that Evans seemed quicker in these conditions. He said he had lost a bit of time but was still very much in the fight. With a long rally still ahead, he believed anything was possible. While the last two stages had been tough and technical, he was satisfied with his performance and planned to keep pushing through the race.
Tänak won two morning stages but deemed it unrealistic to re-enter the top positions. He made a strategic decision to preserve the car and tires for Sunday’s bonus point opportunities—Super Sunday and the Power Stage. Since WRC regulations allow only two engines per season, Tänak had already experienced issues with this power unit in Sweden. The team had reinstalled the previously used engine, and conserving its condition was now a priority.
Neuville, determined to reach the podium, didn’t hold back as he pushed to the limit. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
The afternoon loop began with SS9, where Evans took the overall lead for the first time, while Ogier moved up to second, pushing Fourmaux and Neuville down to third and fourth. As the repeated stages dried out, conditions began to shift rapidly. Ogier dominated with three straight stage wins and overtook Evans to become the overall leader by the end of the day. He ended Saturday with a 6.3-second lead over Evans. Fourmaux was 26.8 seconds behind, and Neuville trailed by 41.7 seconds. In the final Saturday stage, Neuville was 13.6 seconds slower than Ogier. Afterward, Neuville said he hadn’t held back on the tires and just went all in. He felt it was a good stage, but admitted that if he wanted to close in on the podium, he’d need to rethink his tire strategy. He mentioned trying out several setups throughout the day, but none of them delivered the result he was looking for. Still, he said he’d keep searching for a way to unlock more pace.
DAY 3 – Fourmaux Charges to Podium Finish
Sunday, September 14 marked the final day of Rally Chile, with just two stages—Laraquete (18.62 km) and Bio Bio (8.78 km)—run twice for a total of four stages (SS13–SS16) covering 54.8 km. The rain had finally stopped and the roads began drying quickly, though sections shaded by trees remained damp. As more cars passed, ruts could bring moisture back to the surface.
Ogier took the opening stage. With only a 6.3-second gap to Evans, “playing it safe” wasn’t an option. Meanwhile, Tänak—back in the race to chase bonus points—ran into trouble yet again at the end of the stage. “I don't know how far we'll go. We've already lost power and the temperature has already reached its critical level. I have the speed of a Rally2.” Tänak lamented.
Fourmaux locked in a podium finish while Neuville successfully defended his fourth-place position. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
Tänak gave everything in his comeback bid but managed just one bonus point. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
SS14 Bio Bio, a preview of the final Power Stage, saw Evans post the fastest time and close the gap to Ogier. Toyota drivers dominated the leaderboard, while Fourmaux and Neuville held steady in third and fourth. After the stage, Fourmaux said Rally Chile felt like two completely different events rolled into one, with Friday’s conditions totally unlike what they faced on Saturday and Sunday. He admitted the team lacked performance over the weekend and was still investigating the cause, but noted that the stages themselves were fantastic. With so many loose rocks, he had driven cautiously to avoid punctures. Running across wet and dry surfaces in such mixed conditions, he ad-ded, had been a valuable experience. In SS15, a repeat of Laraquete, Ogier set the fastest time again and extended his lead over Evans to 10.3 seconds. Fourmaux was now over 33 seconds behind Evans.
The final stage, SS16, was the Power Stage, offering critical bonus points. Ogier swept both the Power Stage and Super Sunday, winning Rally Chile in dominant fashion. Despite competing part-time this season, this marked Ogier’s fifth victory of the year. He edged out Evans by just two points to take the lead in the championship standings. Evans finished second overall, and Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux secured the final podium spot in third. Neuville came fourth, followed by Pajari, Rovanperä, Katsuta, Munster, Solberg, and Gryazin.
Tänak and Neuville maintained their positions in the standings, but Tänak’s title hopes dimmed further, now trailing the leader by 43 points. In WRC2, Oliver Solberg clinched the championship title with a win, sealing the season ahead of the remaining events. The next stop is Central European Rally, round 12, set for October 16–19. This challenging tarmac rally crosses through Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, and has quickly become a fan favorite since debuting in 2023. Only three rounds remain in the 2025 WRC season: Central Europe, Japan, and the grand finale in Saudi Arabia.
Written by: Soo-jin Lee
In 1991, Lee’s passion for cars led him to enthusiastically write letters to the newly launched Korean car magazine Car Vision. This unexpected connection led him to start his career as an automotive journalist. He has served as editor and editorial board member for Car Vision and Car Life, and now works as an automotive critic. While eagerly covering the latest trends like electric vehicles, connected cars, and autonomous driving technology, he is also a car enthusiast who secretly hopes that the smell of gasoline engines will never disappear.
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