Thierry Neuville has said his ability to keep calm in moments of adversity and his “never give up” attitude were key to finally clinching the World Rally Championship title.
The five-time WRC runner-up (2013, 2016-2019) took the last step and became a world champion after finishing sixth in a dramatic season finale in Japan.
Having led the championship since winning January’s Monte Carlo opener, Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe only needed to score six points to seal the championship.
However, the journey to a maiden title wasn’t made easy when a turbo failure on Friday put his chances in doubt. A stellar fightback from 15th to sixth offered hope before a crash from rival and Hyundai team-mate Ott Tanak ultimately sealed the Estonian’s fate.
When asked if there was a moment when he thought the lifelong dream of winning the title wouldn’t happen, Neuville told Motorsport.com: “Friday morning was a big hit, for sure.
“We were lying second and we probably would have won the rally this weekend or finished second at least, and we got a big hit.
World champion Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport
“That was tough, but again me, and Martijn kept calm. We had those 25 points as a lead, which basically gave us the hope for a better result at the end of the weekend.
“We made it. I’m very proud and I’m very happy and it is just a reward for years of fighting and never giving up.
“It is not so easy [to stay calm in difficult moments] but it is probably the experience. I have the capability of telling myself that I’m living a dream and there are only a few that live that and get that opportunity to do what I have dreamed of doing.
“I always try to tell myself that if things don’t go your way you are still living [the] dream, and try to benefit from it.
“Of course, sometimes I don’t and this year it has been particularly challenging. There has been the road-cleaning, the part-time drivers and it didn’t always feel right, but on the other hand we had to do the job and we kept doing it.”
Neuville’s co-driver Wydaeghe pinpointed a strong mental resolve that he and Neuville possess as critical factors in their push for the title.
“The pressure [of leading the championship all year] was okay, it was really the circumstances we were driving in, like opening the road everywhere,” Wydaeghe told…
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