Neuville rolls in shakedown
Jari-Matti Latvala sets the pace in final warm-up
Neuville roll: Photo special
Thierry Neuville is expected to start ADAC Rallye Deutschland tomorrow morning (August 22) following his multiple roll into the vines at shakedown this morning.
His Hyundai i20 was inspected by FIA technical officials after it was returned to the Trier service park. While many panels were bent, it was confirmed there was no damage to the roll cage and the car could be repaired.
Blue screens were erected around the i20 in the Korean manufacturer’s service area and mechanics this afternoon began the long job of stripping the car and rebuilding it.
It is believed unlikely that the car will be completed in time for this evening’s start ceremony at Trier’s Porta Niga. In that case Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul will cross the podium on foot.
The accident happened at a double left corner in the vineyards, 1.7km after the start of Neuville’s third pass at the Konz shakedown. After leaving the road on the outside of the bend, the car rolled six times downhill among the grapes.
“It was a small mistake from my side,” admitted Neuville. “I touched a small bank on the inside and it put me a bit out of line and I had to try to recover the car.
“The rear was on the loose and we just rolled very slowly into the vineyards. We were stuck in there and a wheel came off, but now we have the car out and back in service.
“It was quite slow and it’s a lot of work for the mechanics. It’s the first time I went off in shakedown, but everything can happen for the first time,” he said.
Follow Neuville's dramatic roll in our exclusive sequence of images below.
