The Frenchman highlighted that recent simulator sessions at the Ford Performance Technical Centre’s simulator in America Charlotte, North Carolina, had played a role in helping improve the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1’s performance on Croatia’s asphalt stages last weekend.
While Ford is not currently operating as a fully-fledged factory team in the WRC, the blue oval offers support to M-Sport’s WRC programme, which Fourmaux says has helped transform the Puma’s pace on asphalt since January’s Monte Carlo opener where he finished fifth.
In Croatia, where Fourmaux scored two stage wins, M-Sport debuted a new rear wing which was the first visible performance upgrade on the car this year.
Although he only finished the rally 17th, Fourmaux's impressive Power Stage victory helped him secure 13 championship points which keeps him third in the standings ahead of Hyundai's Ott Tanak.
“I’m really happy because we have come really far with the car since Monte Carlo,” Fourmaux told Autosport.
“The car wasn’t good at all on tarmac, we were struggling so much, but we have done a lot of development in the simulator and on the test.
“We were searching a little bit at the beginning of the rally, but after Friday afternoon where I did the second fastest time, I found a really good set-up.
“We have made a big step, but there are things we still need to improve and we are working on it to gain some time.
“It is really positive and we are much closer. We were fighting with Ott all the weekend.
“[The simulator] is working and I’m really pleased we have done a good job with the car, and it has been working on this rally.
“We are using it as a tool to make the car faster and it is working.”
Source: Autosport