Thierry Neuville: “It’s Monte-Carlo, we should have more snow than asphalt”

With the absence of snow, will Monte-Carlo 2023 be as demanding as usual?

In this round, there are always surprises and I am sure there will be more. Afterwards, in terms of difficulties, I think it will be less complicated than what we have experienced in the past. Last year already, I carried out all the rally on slick tires. There was only one special which was really selective, that of Sisteron and we no longer have it this year.

Do you find the test too easy now?

It never is, but something is missing in terms of conditions, challenge and atmosphere. This is Monte Carlo and we should have more snow than asphalt and that is not the case. The highest ES peaks at 600 m… and only for 300 m…

What did you think of the nomination of Cyril Abiteboul comme directeur juste avant le rallye ? Y a-t-il tant de changements à apporter chez Hyundai pour que cela fonctionne ?

I think it came a little late. During the first exchange I had with him at the factory when he came to take photos, he told me that he found our infrastructure to be impressive and that with that we should be able to do great things. . I think there is not as much need for change, but roles need to be given. Little by little, things should get back to normal. It may not be easy to restructure a team that ran on its own last year. We must make people understand that there are rules to respect and that the decision-makers are clearly designated. I am quite convinced that with the speech Cyril gave me and with his experience he will achieve it.

What state of mind does this put you in?

This allows me to relax a little, because I gave a lot last year, Ott (Thank you, Editor’s note) too, but he ended up throwing down the gauntlet. I was in no position to do the same thing at all. I continued to take it upon myself, hoping it wouldn't take long.    

How to approach a rally like Monte-Carlo after a single day of testing?

We finished the 2022 season with an asphalt round in Japan, so it was okay to do just one day of testing. I was lucky to go last. My teammates had time to brush up on certain settings that were working or not, which made my session quite easy. What I can say is that I am very happy with the way the car handles. We were able to identify a few things to work on for the future. That said, do I have the recipe to win here? If I had it, I wouldn't divulge it.