 Thierry Neuville, 2014 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Born | 16 June 1988 St. Vith, Belgium |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 2009–2010, 2012–present |
| Co-driver | Martijn Wydaeghe Nicolas Gilsoul Nicolas Klinger |
| Teams | Citroën Junior, Qatar, Hyundai |
| Rallies | 167 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 21 |
| Podiums | 69 |
| Stage wins | 408 |
| Total points | 2090 |
| First rally | 2009 Rally Catalunya |
| First win | 2014 Rallye Deutschland |
| Last win | 2024 Acropolis Rally |
| Last rally | 2024 Central European Rally |
Thierry Jean Neuville (French pronunciation: [tje.ʁi nø.vil]; born 16 June 1988) is a Belgian rally driver who is competing in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. During his career, he has finished as runner-up in the drivers' championship five times (2013, 2016–2019). He helped Hyundai win their first manufacturers' title in 2019, as well as repeating the feat in 2020. His current co-driver is compatriot Martijn Wydaeghe.
Born in St. Vith, Neuville started rallying in 2007. Between 2009 and 2011 he competed in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge; in 2009 he also made his World Rally Championship debut at the Rally Catalunya and in 2010 he competed in the Junior World Rally Championship. With promising results across the categories between 2009 and 2011, he was signed by the Citroën Junior Team and made his World Rally Car debut in 2012. In 2013, driving for the Qatar World Rally Team, he was a surprise runner-up in the championship, having scored his first podiums in the sport, finishing 114 points behind Sébastien Ogier.
When Hyundai Motorsport re-entered the sport in 2014, the Korean manufacturer signed Neuville as their lead driver. Neuville won his first World Rally Championship event, as well as Hyundai's first, at the 2014 Rallye Deutschland. In addition to his first win, he had helped Hyundai score their first podium earlier in the season. Neuville finished the 2014 and 2015 seasons in sixth place, but finished runner-up in the in the drivers' championship from 2016 to 2019. In 2016, he was again a distant second to Ogier, but since new regulations for World Rally Cars were introduced in 2017 he has been battling closely for the drivers' title with rivals Ogier and Ott Tänak. In 2017 and 2018, he narrowly missed out on the title to Ogier, while in 2019 he was second to Tänak. Despite being second in the drivers' championship in 2019, Neuville's results helped Hyundai win their first manufacturers' title.
In total, Neuville has won 21 world rallies, all for Hyundai. Initially known as an asphalt specialist,[1] he has won events on asphalt and gravel. He has also won on snow, winning the Rally Sweden in 2018 and he became one of the few non-Nordic drivers to win the event. In addition to rallying, Neuville has also contested circuit racing, debuting in the 2019 German Touring Car Championship.
- ^ "Thierry Neuville on his Rallye Deutschland 2014 win". redbull.com. RedBull. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2020.