Thierry Neuville: “I didn’t expect the roads to be so demanding”

In 2022, Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) has won only one round of the World Rally Championship (WRC, at the Acropolis); such a success rate only happened to him in 2020, a year shortened due to the pandemic. So, the Belgian tries to increase his score in the Rally of Japan, the final which runs until November 13.

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Ranked second overall, 3''0 behind leader Elfyn Evans (Toyota), Thierry Neuville is not giving up. “ Despite a shorter day than expected (one special canceled and another shortened. Editor’s note), she was very difficult, declares the 34-year-old pilot. The roads are not easy to negotiate, and require a lot of work on the part of the driver, but also the co-pilot. But we did pretty well.

The day was full of ups and downs, with constantly changing race conditions and winding roads. When you arrive at a new rally, it’s as if you’re starting from scratch. You have to go through a lot of thought about the choice of settings. We prepared as best as possible. »

⏱ SS6 #RallyJapan 🇯🇵

1. Rovanperä
2. Evans +0.3
3. Thank you +1.7
4. Katsuta +1.8
5. Neuville +2.2
6. Ogier +6.2
7. Greensmith +27.5
8. Suninen +31.3#HMSGOfficial #WRC

🎥 @MarcoGiordo pic.twitter.com/7Gx5jIxJeU

— Thierry Neuville (@thierryneuville) November 11, 2022

Thierry Neuville, who is fighting with his future ex-teammate Ott Tänak for the honorary place of 2022 vice-champion, admits to not being completely comfortable behind the wheel of the South Korean car. “ I didn't expect the roads to be so demanding. Sometimes in a single stage you have very fast passages, with good pace, as well as sections of tight and narrow corners, with changes in grip as the road is bumpy then smooth. It’s a compromise to find in terms of settings and that’s what’s causing concern at the moment. »