Thierry Neuville

Belgium

WRC

Determined and confident, Thierry Neuville secured his first WRC title in 2024, becoming Belgium’s first champion and delivering Hyundai its first drivers’ crown after years of near-misses.

Key Facts

Nationality

BEL

Date of birth

16.06.1988

Birthplace

Saint Vith, Belgium

Co-driver

Martijn Wydaeghe

First WRC rally

2009, Rally Catalunya

First WRC stage win

2012, Rally Mexico SS21

WRC stage wins

413

First WRC podium

2013, Rally Mexico

WRC podiums

First WRC win

2014, Rallye Deutschland

WRC wins

First WRC Wolf Power Stage win

2013, Rally Finland

WRC Wolf Power Stage wins

WRC titles

1 (2024)

Previous teams

Citroën, M-Sport Ford

Website

www.thierryneuville.be

About Thierry Neuville

Thierry Neuville’s path to WRC glory began in his hometown of St Vith, Belgium, where he first stepped into a rally car at 19, driving an Opel Corsa. Just three years later, he was making waves in the 2010 Junior WRC and Intercontinental Rally Challenge, securing a class victory at Rally Bulgaria.

The following season saw him climb even higher, taking wins in Corsica and Sanremo in the IRC, which earned him a fifth-place overall finish in the championship. His performances caught the attention of Citroën, who signed him to their Junior Team for 2012. Driving a DS3 World Rally Car, Neuville impressed with a stage win in Mexico and strong asphalt performances in the latter half of the season.

In 2013, M-Sport snapped him up, and it proved to be a breakthrough year. Neuville claimed his first WRC podium in Mexico before racking up six more, finishing an impressive second in the championship. A maiden victory slipped through his fingers in Germany after an off on the final stage, but his speed was undeniable.

Hyundai saw the potential and signed Neuville for their fledgling WRC programme in 2014. He repaid their faith with an iconic first victory at Rallye Deutschland, bouncing back from a dramatic roll in the pre-event shakedown to take the win. However, the following year was more difficult, with no wins and a demotion to Hyundai’s second-string team for the season finale in Wales.

A win in Sardinia in 2016 reignited his form, and a strong second half of the season saw him finish runner-up in the championship once more. That position would become all too familiar in the coming years. In 2017, Neuville was a title contender in the new generation of high-aero WRC cars but lost out to Sébastien Ogier after costly crashes in Monte-Carlo and Sweden, plus mechanical issues later in the season.

It was déjà vu in 2018, with another second-place finish after a crash in Australia handed the title to Ogier. In 2019, he finished as runner-up yet again, this time behind future Hyundai teammate Ott Tänak.

The 2020s brought further frustration. Neuville never mounted a serious title bid in 2020 or 2021, and while he won in Greece and Japan in 2022, he finished third overall. The same result followed in 2023, despite victories at Rally Italia Sardegna and the inaugural Central European Rally.

But in 2024, everything clicked. From the opening round, Neuville took control of the championship and never let go. Consistency and composure across all 13 events secured him his long-awaited maiden WRC title, making him the first Belgian to claim the crown and Hyundai’s first-ever drivers’ champion.