The fever, fanned at dawn on November 24 at the finish of the Rally of Japan, has not subsided in Belgium. Ten days later, on the evening of December 4, more than 2,000 Belgians came to celebrate and thank Thierry Neuville. In Saint-Vith, the local child was welcomed, like a rock star, to the music of « We are the Champions » from Queen.
« I wanted this party to take place here in this small town where I grew up, explained the hero. It’s a way of thanking the local authorities, but also the fans who have followed me since the beginning. I knew that a lot of people had reserved their free entry to the event, but I was still very surprised to see the Triangle (the cultural space of the city. Editor’s note) crowded at this point. It’s a source of immense pride for me. »
And the Hyundai driver believes that his coronation will help shed new light on his discipline. “Since the arrival, many people’s outlook on our sport has changed. There are more people who now better understand the mechanics of rallying and are aware of the enormous work that it requires upstream. It’s crazy the media enthusiasm since we returned home. For a whole day, we went to every television set in the country. I was even invited to the Télévisé News. It seems that they never receive anyone again. »
Among the thousands of congratulatory messages he received, one of them particularly surprised him. “King Philippe and Queen Mathilde sent me a text message when I had barely crossed the finish line. Their responsiveness was impressive. »
A culmination
Until December 21, Neuville will make a series of public appearances, such as at the Emmels municipal school, where he wore out his short pants in nursery and primary school. As for the message that the pilot wants to send to young people, it is clear. “I definitely don’t want to make them think it’s easy. Becoming a pilot is complicated. Live your passion even more. But Martijn (Wydaeghe, his co-driver. Editor’s note) and I are proof that we can get there with hard work. We were spotted by the Federation network (the RACB National Team. Editor’s note). From that moment on, we didn’t stop believing in it and working. »
Will this world title that Thierry has been chasing for so many years change anything in his life? “Yes and nohe retorts. On a personal level, this won’t change anything. I am often told that a title is for life. So even when I hang up the headset, I suspect I’ll still be told about it. But this crown also symbolizes an outcome, the only box that remained to be ticked. We will be able to start the next season with less pressure on our shoulders. »
By the way, at 36 years old, does Thierry Neuville see himself as a pilot for a long time to come? ” Certainly ! Our program is assured for 2025. We are awaiting the new FIA regulations regarding the WRC and, subsequently, communication from Hyundai; but I am confident. The group is seeking to broaden its involvement in motorsport by entering the WEC with Genesis (see page 6), but rallying is still part of its priority program. And when I’m no longer in the WRC, I will undoubtedly be tempted by other disciplines: the 24 Hours of Spa, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or rally raid. But we’re not there yet. »
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