Thierry Neuville, champion with measured ambitions before the Monte-Carlo Rally: "The goal is to finish"

World champion and current winner of the Monte-Carlo Rally, Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) arrives in the Principality wary, aware of the challenges that await him between new tires and very cool temperatures.

Published 21/01/2025 à 12:30

Cyprien Juilhard

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Thierry Neuville, champion with measured ambitions before the Monte-Carlo Rally: "The goal is to finish"

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Snow has appeared on the Turini pass, covered in a white blanket as the Monte Carlo Rally. While these conditions should not really disturb the Scandinavians, who have learned to handle the steering wheel on snowy roads, they risk surprising less accustomed drivers, in particular Thierry Neuville.

The Belgian returns to the roads of the South of France a year after his victory in Monte-Carlo, at the end of a rally dominated and managed with a master's hand, a precursor sign of the season that followed, just as well led by the pilot Hyundai. Will his second success at Monte Carlo after 2020 already be followed by a third? There are never two without three, jokes the Belgian before the event. "Of course I would like to win the Rallye Monte-Carlo for the third time, but it is also one of the most difficult events to win."

Facing an armada of five Toyota, including the two world champions Kalle Rovanperä and Sébastien Ogier, Thierry Neuville will have a lot to do to compete for the first victory of the year, which could be partly decided by tire management. The teams are faced with the arrival of Hankook, which is starting a three-year monopoly. The first tests worried the drivers, who were not really convinced by the Korean tires. "In addition to the usual difficulties of Monte Carlo, we also have to face the challenge of the new tires." Thierry Neuville squeaks. "So there will be a lot of surprises in the conditions we have not yet tested. We have to take it step by step to get closer to the limit."

Tires and weather conditions are the main unknowns 

The Hankook tires have not been unanimously approved, especially in their snow configuration: judged ineffective and difficult to warm up, they did not receive the validation expected from the drivers before the Rally of Sweden (February 13-16), where they will be used for the first time. In Monte-Carlo, the Rally1 will run on very cold asphalt while temperatures are expected to barely exceed 0°C. At the moment we are expecting more wintry conditions than we have experienced in recent years, which will make the event even more difficult, although we know that in Monte Carlo the conditions are never guaranteed." Thierry Neuville analyses.

The Hyundai driver does not want to be too ambitious, despite his new status as world champion which gives him greater legitimacy to claim victory. The first goal is always to finish “, he tempers. "If we're in the fight towards the end of the weekend, we'll definitely give it an extra push." promises the native of Saint-Vith, who will have to beat Sébastien Ogier again to do so, the record holder for successes in Monte-Carlo with his 8 victories. Last year, he achieved this in style and as he himself says: never two without three.

READ ALSO> Route, timetables, entrants… The complete guide to the 2025 Monte-Carlo Rally

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Debarre

21/01/2025 at 07:31 a.m.

Ogier will still be able to cry about the tires. As a reminder, they are the same for everyone…

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