Crowned in the constructors’ championship in 2019 and 2020, the Korean manufacturer this time signs its first drivers’ title with the Belgian.
“It’s very special to win the first FIA WRC driver and co-driver titles for Hyundai. We set ourselves the objective from the start of the season and it is now mission accomplished. It’s never easy in a top championship like the WRC, so I’m very happy and grateful to Hyundai Motorsport, my team and my co-driver Martijn, to whom I owe so much success.”
Since last season, Hyundai Motorsport has significantly renewed its structure and the i20N Rally1 has gained both in performance, but also in reliability, even if the latter made it fear the worst in Japan!
“A lot of things have fallen into place this season. We had a new structure in the team, but also a new technical director, FX Demaison, who joined us last year. There are some very talented and intelligent people behind the scenes, and Cyril’s arrival in the company has greatly influenced that. The goals for the year were clear, and we also had a competitive car. Performance and reliability were fairly stable throughout the year. This helped us manage the season very well with a big attack at the start of the year, then the turning point in Greece, and finally managing our rhythm and our advantage until the last round.”
So far without a title despite 21 victories, as many as his teammate Ott Tänak, and one more than Didier Auriol, Thierry Neuville knew how to be patient to win the best possible trophy.
“To be honest, my childhood dream was always to become a rally driver, so everything that came after that was a bonus! After taking that first step in becoming a professional rally driver, my dreams continued to grow and evolve. This trophy is the reward for all the hard work and effort we have put in throughout my career to get here. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but also a lot of victories and many, many podiums over the years. We have been close to the FIA WRC drivers’ title a few times, but this year we won it.”
Belgium
