Thierry Neuville
Thierry Neuville | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 16, 1988 St. Vith, Belgium |
| Occupation | Rally driver |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | 2024 World Rally Champion, Hyundai Motorsport lead driver in WRC |
Thierry Jean Neuville ( ; born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally competitor currently racing in the World Rally Championship representing Hyundai Motorsport. He claimed his first drivers' world championship in 2024, becoming Belgium's inaugural titleholder after finishing as runner-up five times (2013, 2016–2019). Neuville played a key role in Hyundai's initial manufacturers' championships in 2019 and 2020. His present co-driver is fellow Belgian Martijn Wydaeghe.
Originating from St. Vith, Neuville started his rally career in 2007. From 2009 to 2011, he participated in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and made his World Rally Championship debut at the 2009 Rally Catalunya. In 2010, he competed in the Junior World Rally Championship. His impressive results earned him a position with the Citroën Junior Team in 2012, marking his first appearance in a World Rally Car. The following year, driving for the Qatar World Rally Team, he unexpectedly finished second overall behind Sébastien Ogier.
When Hyundai Motorsport re-entered the WRC in 2014, Neuville was appointed as their lead driver. That year, he secured both his and Hyundai’s inaugural WRC victory at the 2014 Rallye Deutschland, having previously contributed to Hyundai’s first podium finish earlier in the season. He ranked sixth overall in both 2014 and 2015 before finishing as drivers' runner-up consecutively from 2016 through 2019. After trailing Ogier by a wide margin in 2016, Neuville fiercely contested the championship under new vehicle regulations from 2017 onward, narrowly missing out to Ogier in 2017 and 2018 and to Ott Tänak in 2019. Despite placing second again that year, his performances were instrumental in Hyundai claiming their maiden manufacturers' title.
Neuville has achieved victory in 21 world rally events—all driving for Hyundai—across various terrains including asphalt, gravel, and snow. A highlight was his triumph at the snow-based Rally Sweden in 2018, making him one of the rare non-Nordic winners of that event. Outside of rallying, he ventured into circuit racing with his debut in the 2019 German Touring Car Championship (ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship).
Early career
Born in the German-speaking town of St. Vith, Neuville began rallying at age 19 in 2007, making his first appearance behind the wheel of an Opel Corsa during a rally held in Luxembourg. In 2008, he won the Royal Automobil Club of Belgium Rally Contest, which marked a significant step forward in his rallying journey. The following year, he secured the Citroën Rally Trophy Belux title while driving a Citroën C2 R2 Max.
Neuville entered the Intercontinental Rally Challenge for the first time in 2009 at the Ypres Rally, competing with the BF Goodrich Drivers Team using a Peugeot 207 S2000, but retired after crashing while positioned fourth. Although registered for the 2008 Rally Finland with a Ford Fiesta ST, he did not start that event. His official World Rally Championship debut occurred at the 2009 Rally Catalunya, piloting a Citroën C2 R2 alongside co-driver Nicolas Klinger; however, he retired from this rally.
2010
In the 2010 Junior World Rally Championship, Neuville took part in five out of six rounds driving a self-entered Citroën C2 S1600 with Klinger as co-driver. Despite leading early gravel rallies such as the 2010 Rally of Turkey and 2010 Rally de Portugal, mechanical issues and accidents forced retirements. He claimed his first class victory on asphalt at the 2010 Rally Bulgaria, yet engine troubles struck during Germany’s round, concluding with a third-place finish at the season finale, 2010 Rallye de France. Frequent withdrawals resulted in a seventh-place ranking overall despite winning several stages.
Concurrently, Neuville competed for Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg (Bel-Lux) backed by Kronos Racing in six events of the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge driving a Peugeot 207 S2000. His debut at the 2010 Rally Islas Canarias ended prematurely due to suspension damage while running seventh. He achieved fourth place on gravel at the 2010 Rally d'Italia Sardegna and recorded a personal best third place at the 2010 Ypres Rally. Retirements occurred during rallies in Czech Republic and Scotland; however, he finished eighth at Sanremo and concluded the season ninth overall with twelve points from six starts.
2011
Thierry Neuville continued racing with the Peugeot Bel-Lux outfit during the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. His season began at the Monte Carlo event, where an early crash in the opening stage forced him to retire. Following this, co-driver Klinger was replaced by Nicolas Gilsoul for the remainder of the year. At the subsequent round, 2011 Rally Islas Canarias, Neuville secured a third-place finish behind winner Juho Hänninen and runner-up Jan Kopecký. He claimed his inaugural victory at the 2011 Tour de Corse, edging out Kopecký by 15.5 seconds.
During the 2011 Prime Yalta Rally, Neuville initially took the lead but went off course and suffered a tire puncture, ultimately finishing sixth. Suspension issues led to his retirement at the 2011 Ypres Rally. He achieved fourth place at the 2011 Czech Rally and narrowly missed winning the 2011 Mecsek Rallye in Hungary by just 0.8 seconds to Kopecký. His second triumph came at 2011 Rallye Sanremo, where he won by a margin of 1.5 seconds.
In the penultimate round held in Scotland, Neuville finished sixth after experiencing a spin. Entering the final event at the Cyprus, where five drivers were still vying for the championship, he initially led but had to retire due to alternator failure. The title was ultimately claimed by Andreas Mikkelsen, with Neuville ending the season fifth overall.
Citroën Junior (2012)
For the 2012 World Rally Championship, Citroën signed Neuville to compete selectively with their junior squad, piloting a Citroën DS3 WRC. He debuted his World Rally Car at Monte Carlo but crashed early on. His first points came with an eighth-place finish in Portugal, having previously recorded his first stage win during Mexico. Despite rolling his vehicle in Argentina, he managed to finish fifth. The Acropolis Rally marked his first clean rally, concluding in sixth place.
Neuville did not participate in New Zealand under Citroën but substituted for an injured Nasser Al-Attiyah at the Qatar World Rally Team, finishing fifth after a close contest with fellow rookie Ott Tänak. He crashed out from sixth position in Finland and failed to score points in Germany due to another accident. However, he returned to point-scoring form with seventh place in Wales.
His standout performance occurred at the Rallye de France-Alsace, where he led for much of the event before finishing fourth. Additional appearances with Qatar in Sardinia and Catalunya were marred by incidents that prevented him from scoring points. Neuville ended the season seventh overall, gaining substantial experience throughout a full WRC schedule.
Qatar (2013)
In 2013, Neuville joined Qatar, driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC. He retired early at Rallye Monte-Carlo but earned fifth place in Rally Sweden. His first podium came in Mexico with a third-place finish. Portugal was less successful as he retired while running fifth and failed to score points. He matched fifth place again in Argentina.
Neuville then embarked on a series of podium finishes, emerging as an unexpected title contender: third in Greece followed by second places in Italy, Finland, Germany, and Australia.
At his home event, Rallye Deutschland, Neuville briefly held the lead before losing it to Dani Sordo after both drivers went off track. The rally concluded with Sordo winning by three seconds over Neuville’s second place.
During Rally Australia, Neuville was third behind Mikko Hirvonen prior to the Power Stage. With Sébastien Ogier comfortably leading overall, Neuville needed to secure second place both overall and on the Power Stage to maintain championship hopes. A puncture for Hirvonen allowed Neuville to finish second in both categories, keeping him mathematically alive for the title chase. Ogier clinched the championship at the next rally in Alsace after earning a Power Stage point. Neuville’s podium finish in Wales ensured he secured second place in the final standings ahead of Latvala.
2014
On 5 November 2013, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH secured Thierry Neuville on a multi-year contract to spearhead its WRC campaign starting in 2014. By the midpoint of the season, Neuville had achieved two podium finishes and was positioned sixth in the overall standings.
Although Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul experienced a six-roll accident during the ADAC Rally of Germany shakedown, they managed to repair their vehicle and proceeded to win the rally. This victory marked Hyundai Motorsport’s first-ever triumph in the World Rally Championship. Dani Sordo, Neuville’s teammate, completed the event in second place, delivering a one-two finish for Hyundai.
2015
Neuville kicked off the 2015 season with promising results, placing fifth at Monte Carlo and securing second in Sweden. While contending for the lead in Mexico, he went off course and ended up eighth.
The remainder of the year proved more challenging; a crash in Argentina dented his confidence, limiting him to just one additional podium finish in Italy. Despite this, teammates Sordo and Hayden Paddon outperformed him towards the end of the season, with Neuville concluding the year sixth overall.
2016
The new season began with Neuville earning a podium at Monte Carlo driving the updated Hyundai i20 WRC. However, mechanical troubles hampered his efforts in Sweden and Mexico, and a fuel miscalculation left him stranded in Portugal.
Neuville bounced back by winning Sardinia, where he dominated nine out of 19 stages and finished 25 seconds ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala. Following this success, he paid homage to his mentors Philippe Bugalski and Jean-Pierre Mondron.
On 5 October, amid rumors of alternative options, Neuville extended his contract with Hyundai through 2018, reaffirming his commitment to the Alzenau-based squad. He wrapped up the season as championship runner-up, achieving five consecutive podiums and accumulating 160 points.
2017
During the 2017 campaign, Neuville competed alongside teammates Paddon and Sordo using the revised i20 Coupe. The start of the season was difficult for Neuville; he finished 15th and 13th in the opening two rallies despite leading both before crashing. Nevertheless, he earned eight points by winning power stages. After securing third place at Rally Mexico, Neuville triumphed at both Tour de Corse and Rally Argentina, positioning himself as a serious title contender against Sébastien Ogier. Ogier narrowly defeated Neuville in Portugal. Neuville then finished third in Sardinia ahead of Ogier’s fifth place. Victories in Poland followed, allowing Neuville to assume the championship lead for the first time after finishing sixth in Finland when Ogier retired.
At 2017 Rallye Deutschland, Neuville sought to defend his lead but retired due to suspension and transmission damage caused by a minor collision. Prior to retiring, he was running third ahead of Ogier. Without scoring points on the Power Stage, Ogier regained the championship lead with a 17-point margin. Misfortune continued for Neuville in Spain when steering failure on stage 16 prevented him from scoring points, dropping him to third behind Ott Tänak.
Neuville reclaimed second place in Wales by finishing runner-up while Tänak placed sixth. Though unable to match rally winner Elfyn Evans, who competed on DMACK tyres, Neuville was the fastest driver on Michelin tyres and finished ahead of Ogier who came third. Nevertheless, Ogier secured his fifth consecutive world championship by adding two Power Stage points.
In the final round held in Australia, Neuville achieved his fourth victory amid changing conditions. After initial leader Andreas Mikkelsen suffered double punctures, Neuville maintained his lead over challenger Latvala until Latvala crashed on the last stage. This win ensured Neuville’s third career finish as championship runner-up.
2018
Neuville's campaign in 2018 commenced with a costly error at the Monte Carlo Rally, where he lost control of his i20 and became stuck in a ditch, resulting in a four-minute delay and eliminating any chance of victory. Despite this setback, he managed to recover and finish in fifth place.
At Rally Sweden, starting fifth on the road provided Neuville with superior traction compared to those ahead, allowing him to secure his seventh WRC victory and first triumph on snow, even though his Hyundai experienced an electrical fault affecting the paddle shift system. This success elevated him ten points clear of reigning champion Sébastien Ogier, making Neuville only the third non-Nordic driver to claim victory in Sweden.
Nevertheless, Ogier captured wins in the subsequent two events in Mexico and Corsica, extending his lead as Neuville encountered technical difficulties, finishing sixth and third respectively. In Argentina, Neuville secured second place behind Ott Tänak, who emerged as a formidable title rival alongside Neuville and Ogier.
Neuville clinched his eighth WRC win in Portugal, taking over the championship lead after both Ogier and Tänak failed to score points. With extra Power Stage points added, he held a 19-point advantage over Ogier and 47 points over Tänak. He followed this with another victory at Rally d'Italia Sardinia, narrowly edging out Ogier by seven-tenths of a second on the final stage—one of the narrowest margins recorded in WRC history.
Prior to Rally Turkey, Neuville and co-driver Gilsoul extended their contract with Hyundai through 2021. His championship advantage diminished after a suspension failure while leading in Turkey allowed Tänak to claim victory. A later off-road excursion in Wales further reduced his lead. Neuville surrendered the points lead to Ogier after finishing fourth in Catalunya while Ogier finished second.
Heading into Rally Australia, all three contenders—Neuville, Ogier, and Tänak—remained in championship contention. Neuville suffered a puncture on the opening day, forcing him to run first on loose gravel the following day, which hampered his progress. On the final day, he retired after colliding with a tree and losing a wheel. Tänak also retired later during the event, securing Ogier his sixth WRC championship. Neuville concluded the season as runner-up for the third consecutive year and fourth time overall.
2019
Neuville challenged closely at the season opener of the Monte Carlo Rally, finishing second just seconds behind Ogier. He earned another podium at Sweden, placing third behind Tänak and Lappi. In Mexico, Neuville ended fourth while Ogier won and Tänak came second. His initial victory of 2019 occurred at the Tour de Corse, capitalizing on Elfyn Evans' late puncture to secure the win. After this rally, Neuville, Ogier, and Tänak were separated by only five points in the standings.
Neuville continued with a triumph at Argentina, outperforming both Ogier and Tänak. At the inaugural Rally Chile, Neuville suffered a severe crash but escaped without serious injury; Tänak won, Ogier was runner-up, and Neuville dropped to third in the championship standings. He recovered with a second-place finish behind Tänak at Portugal.
In subsequent rallies at Sardinia and Finland, Neuville finished sixth on both occasions while teammate Dani Sordo took victory in Sardinia. Tänak extended his championship lead to 22 points following his win in Finland. In Germany, Neuville engaged in a tight battle with Tänak but was set back by a puncture that relegated him to fourth place as Tänak secured victory. An eighth-place result in Turkey—won by Ogier—further impeded Neuville’s title aspirations.
Tänak increased his lead by winning Wales Rally GB; Neuville finished second. At the penultimate round in Spain, Neuville claimed his twelfth WRC win; however, Tänak’s second place secured him the 2019 World Rally Championship title. The final event in Australia was cancelled due to bushfires, confirming Neuville as runner-up behind Tänak. His consistent performances played a crucial role in Hyundai achieving their first manufacturers' championship title in 2019.
2020
Entering his seventh season with Hyundai, Neuville kicked off by triumphing at the 2020 Monte Carlo Rally, engaging in a tight contest with Ogier and Evans. Nevertheless, a sixth-place result in Sweden caused him to relinquish the championship lead. Subsequent mechanical setbacks during Mexico and Estonia further diminished his points tally, placing him 37 points behind Ogier as the COVID-shortened season neared its conclusion with three rounds remaining. Although Neuville dominated much of Turkey, a late puncture relegated him to second place, a position he repeated at Sardinia, finishing behind teammate Sordo but ahead of Ogier. At the season finale in Monza, Neuville required both victory and maximum power stage points to claim the title; however, an early crash ended those hopes, allowing Ogier to clinch his seventh championship. Despite this setback, Hyundai secured their second manufacturers' championship, with teammates Tänak and Sordo completing the podium. Neuville concluded the year ranked fourth in the drivers' standings, ending his consecutive streak of runner-up finishes dating back to 2016.
2021–2024: First World Rally Championship title
Following three straight third-place finishes from 2021 through 2023, Neuville captured his inaugural World Rally Championship crown in 2024. Together with co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe, he delivered Hyundai's first-ever Drivers' Championship after over ten years competing in the WRC. The season commenced strongly with victories at both the Monte Carlo Rally and Acropolis Rally, maintaining steady results throughout the year. Despite encountering mechanical difficulties during the season's final round in Japan, Neuville secured the championship prior to the last stage, becoming the first Belgian driver to earn the WRC Drivers' title.
Circuit racing
Neuville made his touring car racing debut in the 2019 ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship, piloting a Hyundai i30 for Engstler Motorsport at the Nürburgring as a guest entrant. He achieved pole position, set the fastest lap, led every lap, and won race one. Starting from tenth place in race two due to a reversed grid format, he managed a sixth-place finish under difficult wet conditions. Following these performances, Neuville expressed enthusiasm for pursuing additional circuit racing opportunities, particularly aiming to compete in the prestigious endurance event, the 24 Hours Nürburgring.
WRC victories
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