A podium finish at the end of the suffering for Neuville in Kenya: “The most difficult rally I have experienced in my career”

It may not be the best result of his career, nor the best rally of his life, but Thierry Neuville probably achieved the most difficult podium of his adventure in WRCIn Kenya, throughout the Safari Rally, the Belgian had to fight against the elements and his own body: sick all weekend, a victim of dehydration, the reigning world champion suffered as rarely before.

Physically injured, the pilot Hyundai also had to contend with daunting weather, especially with the rain on Saturday, and with the recurring mechanical problems encountered on his i20 N Rally1. Gearbox, transmission and overheating problems handicapped him during the first days of racing and, as if that wasn't enough, Thierry Neuville received three penalties – two for being late to check in, one for an early start – thus accumulating two penalty minutes in total.

« It feels good to be rewarded for these efforts."

Despite all this, the native of Saint-Vith managed the feat of securing an almost unexpected podium finish behind the winner Elfyn Evans and behind his teammate Ott Tänak. "It's a great reward after all the difficulties we experienced this weekend., he confided to the RTBF microphone. Transmission issues, overheating, fogging on the windshield, and many other minor problems. We were rewarded for never giving up and always giving our all. Even with that difficult day yesterday, when we weren't in great shape and were sick, we were able to finish the job and bring the car home today with some good points."

However, despite Hyundai's double podium in Kenya – a territory generally hostile to the Korean manufacturer – Thierry Neuville's team again failed against Toyota. While the score is less heavy than in the last two years (Toyota had achieved two quadruples in the last two editions), the fact remains that the South Korean firm lacked the reliability to fight against the world champion team, despite using the 2024 version of the Hyundai i20 N.

"Reliability-wise, we haven't made enough progress. We've been coming here for five years, and some problems recur every year. noted Thierry Neuville, diminished upon arrival of the Safari. It's very frustrating because you have to know that for the whole team, and for us, a rally is a huge amount of preparation. All week here on site, we give our all to optimize our rally. In addition, given the extremely difficult conditions, it's the most difficult rally I've experienced in my career. It's frustrating to find problems that we still haven't been able to solve. But hey, what else can we do but keep fighting? It feels good to be rewarded for these efforts.

Neuville in ERC to prepare for the Canaries

In Kenya, Thierry Neuville managed to secure 23 points – just four fewer than Elfyn Evans – and move up to second place in the Drivers' Championship, already a significant 2-point deficit to the Welshman. In the Canary Islands, the Belgian will attempt to confirm his return to form, hopefully in better health than in Kenya.

"I was last [in the Canaries] in 2010 or 2011. I have a good memory, but it's short-lived. It's enough for me to learn the roads during the reconnaissance until Sunday. But what happened in 2010 or 2011 is very difficult to remember," said the Hyundai driver. "But I'm looking forward to it; the atmosphere will be extremely good with lots of spectators and good roads. It can only be beautiful. Plus, we like asphalt, but so does Elfyn. The Toyota is very strong on asphalt, so it's going to be difficult."

As preparation for the Canary Islands Rally, an asphalt event, Thierry Neuville will compete in the Sierra Morena Rally, the first round of theERC, with the Hyundai i20 N Rally1. A rally where he will meet a certain Elfyn Evans, also competing in the Spanish event... A foretaste of the duel to come in the Canaries?

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