Thierry Neuville is one of the leading frontrunners in the World Rally Championship, so here’s everything you need to know about the Belgian.
Neuville has been very successful in WRC, finishing second and third in the standings multiple times, although he has yet to win a title.
He first entered the World Rally Championship in 2009, failing to finish the Rallye de Catalunya in a privately entered Ford Focus ST.
Neuville also took his first victory at the Monte Carlo Rally in 2020 after multiple disappointments in the mountains above Monaco.
Thierry Neuville won his first WRC rally in 2014
After two full seasons of consistent improvement in 2012 and 2013, driving a Citroen DS3 and a Ford Fiesta RS, Neuville found a home with Hyundai the following year.
His first full season in 2012 saw a multitude of top 10 finishes including a fourth place in France but he still remained without a podium.
Neuville’s first podium came at Rally Mexico in 2013, sparking a run of six more podium finishes that year, including four consecutive second places from Italy to Australia.
The Belgian finished second in that year’s championship, the first season he consistently challenged for victories across a multitude of surfaces although he was unable to battle the dominant Sebastien Ogier for the title.
The 2014 season was a relative step back for Neuville as he adjusted to his new Hyundai i20, slumping to sixth in the standings.
The campaign started in the worst possible way in Monte Carlo, retiring from the opening round of the season for the third consecutive season.
A lacklustre rally in Sweden compounded the difficult opening stages of the season after a poor outing on the snow and ice.
The Hyundai driver’s season began to ignite next time out in Mexico, finishing a distant third place behind Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala.
Neuville claimed his first podium since the final round of the 2013 season in Wales and his second consecutive top-three finish at Rally Mexico.
After three chaotic rounds, Hyundai’s new driver began to settle, finishing in the top 10 in the next two rounds, winning SS10 in Argentina on a weekend dominated by Volkswagen Polo R drivers.
Neuville’s rollercoaster of a season continued with a 16th-place finish at Rally Italia Sardegna before his second podium of the season in Poland, where he won SS17 on his way to third place.
After retiring from Rally Finland, his first victory finally arrived next time out in Germany on the tarmac of Rallye Deutschland. Neuville took the win in SS16 and took the overall victory by 40 seconds over his Hyundai teammate Dani Sordo.
The Belgian said via the Hyundai Motorsport website: “I am really happy for the entire Hyundai Shell World Rally Team and everyone back at the factory in Alzenau.
“Everyone has worked so hard in the past year to get us to where we are this season so to celebrate my debut WRC win with them is very special. It is even better that we have a 1-2 in our home event.”
Thierry Neuville won his first Monte Carlo Rally in 2020
The Monte Carlo Rally is the most prestigious event on the calendar and is the traditional season-opener for the World Rally Championship.
Many of the great rally drivers have won at Monte Carlo, including Ogier, who took victory on the tarmac and ice nine times.
Sebastian Loeb won in the Principality an impressive eight times, and his final victory came in 2022 as part of a partial campaign.
The 2020 edition of the Monte Carlo Rally was incredibly competitive, as the top three finished with just under 15 seconds between them.
Neuville usurped Ogier and Elfyn Evans for Hyundai, continuing his good form from the 2019 season, which included a victory at Rally Catalunya.
Ogier was first to finish SS1 before Neuville and Hyundai took victory at the very next special stage before Evans won the next three stages.
The Belgian returned to the top in SS8 and SS9 after winning the second special stage of the opening rally in 2020.
Neuville continued his blistering speed in the final six stages of the rally, winning all of them with his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul, enough to win the event ahead of Ogier and Evans.
The 2020 season saw just seven rounds due to being disrupted by COVID-19, and Neuville’s only victory of the year came in the season-opener in Monaco.
So, with that in mind, Full Oversteer looks at everything you need to know about Neuville…
How old is Thierry Neuville? Where was he born?
Neuville is 36 years old; he was born on the 16th of June 1988 in St. Vith, Belgium.
How tall is Thierry Neuville? What is his height in feet?
Neuville is believed to be 5’7, which is 170cm.
What is Thierry Neuville’s net worth?
Thierry Neuville’s net worth is believed to be $5m or £3.9 million.
Thierry Neuville’s career stats in WRC
WRC titles: 0
WRC rally entries: 155
WRC wins: 19
WRC podiums: 63