Thierry Neuville of Belgium, driving for Hyundai, made a remarkable leap from fifth to second place in the drivers’ standings after emerging victorious in the Rally of Italy held in Sardinia on Sunday.
Neuville led a dominant 1-2 finish for Hyundai, with Esapekka Lappi of Finland securing the second spot in the sixth round of the World Rally Championship.
It marked Neuville’s 18th career triumph, accompanied by co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe. Kalle Rovanpera, the reigning world champion driving for Toyota, completed the podium.
Reflecting on the challenging weekend, Neuville stated, “We came here with the belief that we could fight for victory, but the first day presented challenges, and we lost some time. Yesterday, we found ourselves in the lead, and we had to manage it until the end.”
The win not only marked the first victory for the team this year but also represented the maiden triumph for team principal Cyril Abiteboul. Neuville dedicated the victory to his teammate Craig Breen, expressing their intention to win in Croatia for him but succeeding in Italy instead.
Throughout the rally, the lead changed hands nine times until Neuville seized the initiative when Sebastien Ogier, his Toyota rival, went off the road during Saturday’s rain-soaked penultimate test.
Ogier, an eight-time world champion from France, explained, “When I hit the brake pedal, my foot slipped, and we couldn’t make the corner.”
The next event on the circuit is the Safari Rally of Kenya, scheduled to take place from June 22 to 25.
Final Results
Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL, Hyundai) – 3hr 40min 01.4sec
Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN, Hyundai) – 33sec
Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (FIN, Toyota) – 1:55.3
Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (GBR, Toyota) – 5:20.5
Andrea Mikkelsen/Torstein Eriksen (NOR, Skoda) – 9:33.3
Drivers’ Standings:
Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (FIN) – 118 points
Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) – 93
Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (EST) – 85
Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (GBR) – 83
Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (FRA) – 70
