WRC | Hyundai: Thierry Neuville’s one-year renewal is official

Thierry Neuville and Hyundai Motorsport, the final act? The Alzenau team announced today the contract renewal of the 36-year-old Belgian in view of what could and should be his final seasons in the World Rally Championship.

The renewal of the driver from Sankt Vith had been a topic of discussion for a few weeks now and reaching an agreement between the parties seemed to be just a formality. And so it was.

Neuville, who has been defending the colours of Hyundai Motorsport since the 2014 season, will continue to do so for the 2025 season, to then understand what will happen to the future of the Korean team and, at that point, also to his own.

Yes, because if Neuville were to finally manage to win the 2024 Drivers’ World Championship – he is leading with a 27-point margin over his closest pursuer, Sébastien Ogier – then he could decide to defend the title in 2025 and then retire, when he will have reached the age of 37.

If he still has the desire and intention to chase the title, he will find himself facing a situation that sees few seats available in view of the future. Of course, it will be difficult to see a talent like his ignored by the teams present, but the World Rally Championship is trying to find the right way to have a more solid future than the current one and a generational change of Drivers that already sees talents of the caliber of Sami Pajari and Martins Sesks appearing.

Neuville’s story with Hyundai will therefore continue for the 12th consecutive season. Neuville is the most successful driver in Hyundai’s history in rallying with 20 victories, the last of which was a repeat at the 2024 Rallye Monte-Carlo after a great performance, 403 special wins, 26 Power Stage wins.

Neuville also delivered Hyundai’s first overall WRC win with an unexpected and surprising success at Rally Germany in 2014 when he went off the road in the Shakedown, knocking down several rows of trees that made up a vineyard. Three days later came his first win and Hyundai’s first.

“I am very happy to extend my contract with Hyundai Motorsport for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season,” he said on the sidelines of the renewal. “There are not many partnerships in motorsport that last as long as ours, but since 2014 we have achieved great success together.”

“I have already said that this team has become a second family to me, and our ambition and motivation has grown year after year. It would be a great honour to win our first drivers’ title with them at the end of this season and continue to do so for the twelfth year together. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 on the podium

Photo by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport

This season Neuville is currently the leader of the Drivers’ World Championship with 4 events remaining in 2024. The Belgian has 168 points against Sébastien Ogier’s 141, Ott Tanak’s 137 and Elfyn Evans’ 132. Only one victory, that of Monte-Carlo, but a perfect management of almost all the weekends so far, also considering the new regulation that he has been able to interpret to perfection.

“We are delighted to confirm Thierry Neuville alongside Ott Tanak for our 2025 FIA World Rally Championship adventure,” added Team Principal, Cyril Abiteboul.

“The decision to retain this competitive pairing at Hyundai Motorsport underlines our commitment to the series in 2025, where we will once again target all three championship titles.”

“Thierry has been with Hyundai Motorsport since the beginning, proving invaluable to the team both in competition and at the company over the past 11 years. With him and his co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe now committed to next season, we have all the ingredients we need to continue to challenge at the top of our sport.”