[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

[Mariusz]

How does that make it more expensive?

apart from the cars and essential parts, they use different equipment for the long haul and european events.

Given that it must take a few weeks to get this long haul container stuff from Mexico to Argentina, you may as well do another event somewhere in Europe...

It makes it more expensive that you've got to have two cars per driver. One with gravel setup goes to Mexico and then to Argentina, the other one with tarmac setup stays in Europe. It may be okayish for manufacturers, but probably no private team can do it. But maybe that's the goal, to get rid of privateers doing full championship.

[COD]

When I keep hearing so many stories that Neuville is a bit of a pricess, there nust be some truth in it too

[danon]

Did you mean princess?

[RAS007]

Neuville: "World Champion Yes With Hyundai or another?".

OLIVIER DE WILDE Published
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 5:42 p.m. - Updated Thursday, October 1st, 2015 at 6:42



Criticized in recent weeks by the leaders of Hyundai but also in the press for his lack of motivation and performance considered, by some, "unworthy of a pilot of his rank," Thierry Neuville was speaking on the eve of the Tour de Corsica beginning this Friday. An exclusive and frankly not waffling maintenance.

Thierry, you have suffered a lot of criticism in recent weeks. Do you consider them to be justified?

"I've already admitted having experienced a slump, notably in Portugal where, because of low morale, I made a mistake. But I do not do it on purpose. It should be understood that since j I have the age of five, I dream to drive for a factory team in the WRC and become world champion. In 2013, with Ford, I was runner-up. I then signed with Hyundai hoping to go a step further. In 2014, I certainly won my first world rally but the regular, although everyone knows can not play before. We had announced the new car for the month of May. When I learned that it would begin in January, I was disappointed, that's normal. Two years is a bit long ... "

But since you've recaptured. Are you satisfied with your seventh place in Australia?

"From the gross profit, no. But I was the first on the road behind the VW. Tenth and eleventh on the road, my teammates enjoyed a much better position. We can not compare our performance. I made a good rally. It was not possible to go faster. We must not forget that our goals are not the same. I have to score points for the Championship manufacturers. Most important, it ' is the team. Second place behind VW is our priority. You know, from Sardinia, I scored 52 points. Only Ogier and Latvala have done better. And at this stage of the championship, I registered more units than last year. "

Your balance is positive?

"With this material, it is difficult to do better. Everyone knows that at the beginning of the season, I shot several victories. My ambitions were postponed with the debut of the new car."

What do you think of the look of the new Hyundai WRC presented at the IAA?

"It was only a model that has nothing to do with real WRC."

Have you participated in the recent tests the new car?

"Not because I was co-driving sessions in Paris. Kevin (Abbring) Hayden (Paddon) and Dani (Sordo) took turns at the wheel, but it was all planned. I prefer to arrive when it really moving. It will be the case after Corsica and especially after Spain. "

The team director Michel Nandan seems upset that your manager discusses with other manufacturers ...

"I doubt he is annoyed by this. This is normal. Everyone does his work. It stands just informed ..."

Could you decide to leave the Korean factory end of 2016?

"We are still far away. For 2017, there will be new regulations and many things could change."

Do you still think you can become a world champion with Hyundai?

(After a long silence). "World champion yes, I will continue to fight for it with Hyundai or another manufacturer, that we will see will depend 2016. I feel good in this team, but I want to. have the means to win. "

Sounds like he's gone. And yes, he does look like a bit of a princess.

[N.O.T]

Whats wrong with the Belgian drivers ? Duval became a hamburger boy and Neuville now seems he is heading that way ? Do their moms hug them a lot more than normal when they are young and become full of mental issues ?

[AL14]

I start to believe that we will never know why this guy is behaving like this. He lost himself all of a sudden. I cannot believe he stop being a good driver just because of the delay od the new car. It could have been ok for one rally or two but not for this long time...

[Arnold Triyudho Wardono]

Sometimes I wonder who has bigger ego - he or Ogier...

The answer is too obvious. Both of them..

[stefanvv]

The answer is too obvious. Both of them..

hahaha, it might be, but in the context of rallying Ogier has some justification though.....

[er88]

Give Neuville a full season in the new car first, before lynching him.
Anyone remember McRae's horrible run of form in 1999 and into 2000, when he was driving a car that wasn't yet good enough? After wins in safari and portugal in 1999, McRae didnt score points untill Sweden the following year. A truly horrible run of form, and there were a lot of accidents during that spell, not just reliabilityy issues..

He didn't throw in the towel as such, but as a driver who believed he was quick enough to compete with anyone, its only natural his motivation/concentration/focus might have dipped ever so slighty. Even just by 1%. And thats when mistakes creep in/ pace drops a little. I personally think the same has happened with Thierry (although i could easily be wrong).

Thierry rightly or wrongly thinks he can push Ogier if he had a good car. He believes in his abilities. He had a great year at Ford finishinng 2nd in the championship, spent a year developing the Hyundai but still won his first rally. So i bet he really felt he could push on this year and challenge Ogier when the new car was meant to arrive. But after finding out it was to be delayed till next season, its understandable his motivation might have dipped slighty.
So he's in a tricky situation, he has to push beyond his limits just to fightt for a podium because the car isn't great (by doing this he'll probably crash a lot). Or he can drive at 90% and drive around trying to collect 5th or 6th place. He will probably get criticised either way. Also, he doesnt have a place in the team to win/ a new contract to gain. He is safe and doesnt need to fight for his immediate future. Whereas Paddon had to show great speed this year or his chances of getting a full drive in 2016 would have been bleak. So that could be another reason for being "outpaced" by his teamate recently. Admittedly, it would be complacency if that was the case.


He has suffered a dip in form, but i think the reason everyone is on his back so much is because we desperately need someone to challenge Ogier. And Neuville was/is the big hope. That's a lot of expectation, but people need to get real. He is still young and is driving a car that isn't a VW beater whatsoever. He should be judged this time next year, after a full season in what Hyundai claim to be a car capable of challenging the VW. If he is still crashing or getting outpaced by Paddon and others, then that's when he deserves all the criticism he gets.

[DonJippo]

Whats wrong with the Belgian drivers ? Duval became a hamburger boy and Neuville now seems he is heading that way ? Do their moms hug them a lot more than normal when they are young and become full of mental issues ?

Who are the people he has behind of him? By any chance are they same as Duval had?