Finally, the Belgian Thierry Neuville has been crowned world rally champion. The 36-year-old Hyundai driver and his co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe won the title in Japan thanks to their sixth place and the start of their rivals and teammates Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja in the first stage of the last day.
It is also the first world rally title for a driver from Belgium and for Hyundai Motorsport.
Thierry Neuville, who has been in the WRC World Championship for 14 seasons, had never been able to reign supreme. He had been runner-up five times, and the last three years third with Hyundai.
Dramatic rally
Neuville’s coronation took place until the last of the 13 rounds of the championship, in a rally in Japan with dramatic overtones. The Belgian had a problem with the turbo of his i20 on Friday, so he had to climb back to seventh position overall on Saturday, just two points away from guaranteeing the crown on Sunday.
However, in the first stage of the last day, Tänak, the other title contender, crashed his Hyundai i20 and was left without the lead of the race, which Elfyn Evans (Toyota) inherited, the eventual winner. With Tänak unable to continue, Neuville’s sixth place was enough to be champion, even if he did not finish the rally.
I think we deserve it. “It has been a very demanding, very hard year, and obviously with much more pressure than we needed.”
“Honestly, it was a surprise,” said Thierry Neuville upon learning that he was champion after the first stage of the day. “I don’t know what to say right now, but I think we deserve it. “It has been a very demanding, very hard year, and obviously with much more pressure than we needed.”
Thierry Neuville at the Japan rally
“We knew there was a risk and we have managed the weekend as best as we could with the problems we have had,” commented the Belgian, who has achieved two wins this season, in Monte Carlo and in Greece.
The Belgian finishes the World Cup with 242 points, 32 more than the runner-up, Elfyn Evans (Toyota), and 42 more than Tänak. Eight-time champion Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) finishes fourth, 51 points behind the Belgian.
The Cantabrian Dani Sordo (Hyundai), with only three rallies, has been ninth in the final general classification.
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