France had Raymond Poulidor, Belgium had Thierry Neuville. Few things connect the late cycling champion to the veteran rally driver, except the term “eternal second”. Because since 2012 and his first slip-ups on the World Rally Championship (WRC) circuit, Thierry Neuville has been trying to win the world title. Without success so far, but he often came close.
Now 36 years old, the Hyundai Motorsport driver has five world vice-champion “titles” – including four in a row, from 2016 to 2019 – and has finished the last three seasons in third place. And like in football, where the Red Devils of the Flat Country continually stumble over the Blues, the Belgian suffered from the domination of Frenchman Sébastien Ogier, eight-time world champion (from 2013 to 2021).
His long wait could end. Six points are enough for Thierry Neuville on the eve of the Japan Rally (from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 November), the thirteenth and final event of the season, to secure the coronation. The native of Saint-Vith, in the province of Liège, is 25 points ahead of his competitor (and teammate in the South Korean team), the Estonian Ott Tänak. A driver obtaining a maximum of thirty points during a rally, the Belgian, whose lowest result recorded in a race this season is nine points, seems close to the goal.
Succession of disillusions
But there is no question of selling the bear’s skin prematurely. Because Thierry Neuville experienced, for twelve years, a succession of disillusionments depriving him of the coronation in the final moments. Thus, in 2018, during the last rally of the season, in Australia, he was three points behind Sébastien Ogier. After a puncture on the first day, he was forced to retire on the last day following an exit from the track. And this is not the only disappointment of his career.
What to wonder: is Thierry Neuville cursed? “I don’t think so, there are always reasons why we didn’t go for the title. Sometimes there were errors but also a concern for performance and reliabilityexplains the pilot, questioned by The World. This year, I feel that the car is very competitive, that helps in race management. »
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The world title contender often put obstacles in his way. “Thierry Neuville often came back with a car that had marks, marks on the bumper, remembers Julien Ingrassia, former co-pilot of Sébastien Ogier and now consultant for Canal+. He had a rather abrupt driving style which caused him to make small errors, because he had to systematically catch up. This is what cost him the title. »
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