Neuville: “Too many unknowns to know where we will stand”

The news surprised many, but after a dozen years of collaboration, Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul have not renew their partnership for the 2021 season WRC.

De quoi contraidre Hyundai et le pilote belge à se mettre en quête d’un nouveau copilote, l’élu étant Martijn Wydaeghe, seen in particular in recent years with Guillaume de Mévius. An important change for the winner of the Rally Monte Carlo 2020, which looks back on the preparation work different from previous years.

“It’s obvious that the three days of recognition were beneficial, Neuville clarified. Martijn was able to improve a lot of things and day after day I felt the progress. We mainly talk about pronunciation and the rhythm of the notes. For the rest, he's a professional, he knows what he has to do.

The rhythm of the notes is, it is true, not the same in reconnaissance and in racing, but we have already made progress on this. Today it is much better. It took him a little while to understand my system to know when I need what information.

In racing, I think it's a little easier because we have concentration and adrenaline, not to mention that we feel the car moving unlike recognition.

Martijn has his own writing, which he does not start from Nicolas's notes. Last weekend, we worked on the Rallye du Var stages, and I explained to him all the annotations I might have. Martijn then developed the symbols that speak to him.

I keep the notes in French. We didn't think about doing it in another language. And I don't think English has any advantage.

We will have work in the car and we must not forget that we are in a rally, and that we sometimes have to play with the mechanics of the car, with changes (stabilizer bar, height, etc.) so there will be a lot of things to discover and where I should do more things myself, but Martijn is motivated. »

A necessary adaptation which, according to the Belgian, does not offer clear visibility on a possible result on Sunday in the Principality. “I know it's going to be more difficult, but it may work out well after three turns and I'll be perfectly happy, or it may take longer, continues Neuville.

Last year, with Dani as opener, the first day was very complicated, and despite everything, we had a good rally. There are too many unknowns today to know where we will stand.

You of course hope for maximum points at the start of the season. The last two years I was in a position to win, so I was pushing for that. This year we will try to make our collaboration with Martijn work as best as possible. It won't be easy. »