Hyundai says more about Neuville's problems in Japan

This Friday, which had started calmly, turned into a nightmare for Thierry NeuvilleThe Belgian's troubles began during SS4, the last of the morning loop, when he saw his Hyundai i20 seriously lacks power.

Deprived of high km/h in top speed, the championship leader had to drag this problem throughout the afternoon loop since there was no assistance on the day's program. When it was time to take stock of Friday, he was in 15th place in the general classification 7'41″3 behind the leader Ott Tänak, no more and no less than his direct rival for the title.

Tense times for our championship leaders 🫣#WRC | #RallyJapan 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/L3DSED0bEp

— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) November 22, 2024

Thierry Neuville had to eat his black bread until returning to the service park where he was able to get an initial response from the Hyundai mechanics. The analyses revealed a problem linked to the turbo of his i20.

« Although the exact cause remains to be determined, the team will take advantage of the evening service to change the necessary parts of the car to prevent the problem from persisting., "the South Korean team explains.

« We are obviously disappointed, but that's how it is., relativized Thierry Neuville. There are still two days, and they must be excellent now. It's a shame because we were in second position, comfortable in the car, and we were managing the risk with our speed. Third place would have been enough this Friday, and that was our goal, but in the end the problem happened and we couldn't do anything »

Seven special stages are on the programme for this Saturday at Rally from Japan, during which Thierry Neuville will try to move up the rankings in the hope of scoring a few points in view of his fight for the title.

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