Thierry Neuville continues with Hyundai after one-year extension

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville has extended his contract with the Korean World Rally Championship team until 2025.

Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content pool  

Hyundai, on Thursday, confirmed that they have retained the skills of the current championship leader, Neuville, until the end of next year as the team confirmed the Belgian’s one-year contract extension. 

This means Neuville, who is on course to win his maiden championship, will be with the team for 12 seasons at the end of the extended contract. It also confirms that he will partner up with co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe for a fifth season. 

Hyundai has described the announcement as ‘continuity and stability’ as they look to continue their fight for all three titles against Toyota Gazoo Racing’s World Rally Team. 

On the announcement, Neuville said: 

“I am very happy to extend my contract with Hyundai Motorsport for the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season. There are not many partnerships in motorsport that have spanned as long as ours, but since 2014 we have achieved great success together. 

“I’ve said before that this team has become a second family to me, and our ambition and motivation has only grown year after year. It would be a great honour to win our first drivers’ title with them at the end of this season, and to carry that forward into a 12th year together. 

“I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”

The Belgian will continue on a successful career with the team after hitting a number of milestones throughout his career, including his first win at Rallye Deutschland in 2014. 

Since then, Neuville has tallied up 20 victories, 58 podiums and 371 stage wins with Hyundai – to date, and helped the team to two WRC championships in 2019 and 2020. 

Following the announcement, it confirms that Neuville will be teamed up alongside Hyundai’s Ott Tanak. 

“We are pleased to confirm Thierry Neuville alongside Ott Tänak for our 2025 FIA World Rally Championship campaign, commented Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal, Cyril Abiteboul. “The decision to maintain this competitive pairing at Hyundai Motorsport underscores our commitment to the series in 2025, where we will once again be targeting all three championship titles. 

“Thierry has been with Hyundai Motorsport since the very start, proving invaluable to the team both on the stages and in the factory over the past 11 years. With him and his co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe now locked in for next season, we have all of the ingredients needed to continue fighting at the very pinnacle of our sport.”

Despite the positive news of Neuville’s continuation with the team, it also leaves the team’s future in doubt as they do not have any drivers contracted to be with them in 2026. 

It has been under speculation that Hyundai may leave the WRC to start a new venture in the World Endurance Championship, and having a pivotal driver only to compete in another season adds doubt to the team’s future.

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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.