Left behind in Monte-Carlo, Neuville still sees positives in it

Despite his difficulties in competing against the Toyotas, the Belgian prefers to see the bright side of things at the end of Monte-Carlo while looking ahead to the future.

Published on 23/01/2023 à 10:51

Gonzalo Forbes

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Left behind in Monte-Carlo, Neuville still sees positives in it

Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe started the 2023 season with a podium at Monte-Carlo. © Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

The good signals seen at the end of last season have not been confirmed for Hyundai at the start of the 2023 campaign. The Yaris are definitely on another playing field, the South Korean i20s suffered greatly during the Monaco classic, as evidenced by the difficulties of Esapekka Lappi and Dani Sordo in setting good times. Thierry Neuville he tried as best he could to keep the ship afloat but the gap with Toyota was just too big.

The Belgian nevertheless did not leave Monte-Carlo empty-handed since he was the only driver to challenge Toyota's domination by stealing two stage scratches on Saturday afternoon. A good outcome for Thierry Neuville who is not worried about the situation at the moment.

« I gave everything I had this weekend and even if we would have preferred to be more present in the fight for victory, it’s still a good start to the season, especially compared to last year., believes the Walloon who is already planning for the future and with hope. The speed wasn't very good, but it wasn't too bad either, so there's no need to worry. We had more tire wear than the others and even taking risks, we were not able to match the lead times. We had to be smart, which we did, and we kept the car on the road. Finally, it’s great to be back on the podium at Monte-Carlo. Sweden will be a completely different type of event and we should be in the game."

Absent from the fight for victory at Monte-Carlo, will Thierry Neuville and Hyundai find the necessary resources to be competitive again? See you on February 9 for a first answer.

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Gonzalo Forbes

In charge of promotion formulas (F2, F3, FRECA, F4...). Carried by the grace of Franco Colapinto.

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