Relegated to 50 points behind Evans, Neuville does not panic: "Everything is still possible even if the gap is significant"

It wasn't the weekend of Hyundai, nor that of Thierry Neuville in Gran Canaria. The South Korean team suffered the ultra-domination of Toyota throughout the Rally of the Canary Islands. Never in the running, always behind, the i20 Ns were just a figurehead from Friday to Sunday, without ever aiming for a podium place. While the Japanese manufacturer had a clean sweep with Kalle Rovanperä's victory and the quadruple, the three Hyundai drivers had to settle for the top spots.

Added to this glaring lack of performance was a touch of bad luck for the Belgian in the Spanish archipelago. On Sunday, while he was in a good position to secure a Top 5 finish, he snatched 5th place from Adrien fourmauxThierry Neuville suffered a front-left puncture on the 17th and penultimate stage of the Rallye Canarias. Forced to lose more than a minute by finishing the stage with a flat tire, the 36-year-old driver dropped to 7th place overall and his hopes of scoring points on Super Sunday were dashed.

"We tried everything this morning to get fifth place and some points for Sunday. We were in a good position because we were the fastest Hyundai, then we had the puncture. We lost a place and that prevented us from taking any points, except in the Power Stage.", confided the reigning world champion to the RTBF microphone, after the finish of the rally. Result: with the six points from 7th place and a small point gained during the Power Stage, Thierry Neuville leaves Las Palmas with only seven additional points. A bad operation for the championship, since at the same time, Kalle Rovanperä made a clean sweep (35 points out of 35 possible) and Elfyn Evans, 3rd in the Canary Islands, picked up 21 points.

Neuville expects better in Portugal

Thierry Neuville now has a substantial 50-point deficit to the Welshman, the championship leader. For now, the Belgian isn't worried about this significant gap, and is instead focused on his bike's potential in the upcoming rounds. "We will solve the problems internally and as a team. We know that we have to work, everyone will do their best, assures the Hyundai driver. I admit that I haven't looked at the championship standings too much. Frustration and disappointment dominate. I'm staying positive, looking ahead. Everything is still possible even if the gap is significant. Should we be worried about the next round in Portugal (May 15-18)? The road conditions will be different. We'll be third on the road, we'll have a slightly better position [at the start]. We have to bounce back, but it's not for lack of trying. After four rounds, neither Thierry Neuville nor Hyundai have won a single victory in 2025.

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