Neuville advised to ‘get on with it’ by WRC title rival

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville has been advised to ‘get on with it’ by his championship rival as the Belgian seemed to be unhappy with part-time WRC crews. 

Feature image credit: Red Bull Content Pool

Following his superb win in Monte-Carlo, Hyundai’s leading world champion has not relinquished the lead of the World Rally Championship drivers standings.

Despite Monte-Carlo being his only win of 2024, he leads the championship with 145 points to his name – eight more than his closest rival, and teammate, Ott Tanak. 

However, at Rally Latvia, Neuville was disgruntled by the use of part-time crews as they benefitted from the later runs through new stages – which gave them faster times on the board. 

As a result of Neuville’s championship position, the Belgian has been forced to open up the roads on Friday’s tests which primarily ‘clean’ the stages for the following drivers, resulting in slower run times. 

At the end of the first full day of running, Neuville voiced his frustration as he endured slower times whereas the part-time crews enjoyed a cleaner road and faster times such as Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera, who later went on to win the rally. 

Speaking to DirtFish, he said: 

“If I was to be a manufacturer, spending close to 100 million per year, and seeing my cars last on the classification because they’ve done well in the whole first part of the championship –  I would be really upset.” 

Despite his concerns, Hyundai has used part-time crews in the past who have also benefitted from this ruling.

Last year, for example, Hyundai also ran part-time crews with the likes of Daniel Sordo and the late Craig Breen who shared the third Hyundai i20 Rally1 entry. 

In addition, Esapekka Lappi, Sordo and Andreas Mikkelsen all share the third Hyundai this year. This is something, Neuville’s championship rival and Toyota driver, Elfyn Evans pointed out to DirtFish – he said: 

“Well, Hyundai has put part-time drivers in for the last six years, purely to help his [Neuville] championship campaign, so I think that’s a bit rich.”

When asked about ‘what advice’ the Welshman would give to his rival, Evans brutally replied: ‘Get on with it.’

Read more WRC here:

• Ford confirm issue that cost Martins Sesks Latvia WRC podium
• Rovanpera leads 1-2 finish for Toyota in Rally Latvia
• Rovanpera maintains Rally Latvia lead after 200th stage win
• Rovanpera takes overnight lead at Rally Latvia
• Ott Tanak looking for redemption in Latvia after Rally Poland
• Sebastien Ogier to return in WRC Rally Latvia after accident

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.