His title defense is over, and Hyundai’s manufacturers’ quest ended in Central Europe too.
By all accounts, you’d expect outgoing world champion Thierry Neuville to be attempting absolutely anything he can to end this disappointing season on a high. After all, the Belgian is winless since last year’s Acropolis 14 months ago.
Yet Neuville appears conflicted about what he can achieve at this week’s Rally Japan – a rally he’s won in the past and of course was crowned world champion at in 2024.
His heart wants gold. His head is telling him it may be out of reach.
“We’ve definitely had some great memories in Japan,” Neuville was quoted in Hyundai’s pre-event press release. “We’re very keen to go back and target another good result, but in our current position we have to focus on improving the car and learning as much as we can from this event, rather than on a top result.”