Thierry Neuville, driver of the Hyundai World Rally Team and champion of the WRC 2024, has achieved a significant victory in his debut at the historic circuit races during the Imola Classic.
Neuville, who normally competes with rally cars, swapped his usual machinery for a Ford Escort RS1600 and his own BMW M3 E30, participating in the Heritage Touring Car Cup category, an event that took place at the Emilia-Romagna circuit. In this competition, he shared the track with former champions of the British Touring Car Championship such as Jake Hill, Steve Soper, and Rob Huff.
After a long career in the WRC, where he has competed for fifteen seasons, Neuville had already made some appearances in circuit races. He achieved victory in a TCR Germany race in 2019, but this has been his first large-scale participation in a historic event.
In the first one-hour race, alongside driver Raphael de Borman, Neuville achieved a resounding victory in the 1972-1981 class. However, in the second race, he had to retire due to a technical problem with his BMW.
In an Instagram message, the Belgian driver shared his experience: ‘During two practice sessions on Thursday, I was able to discover the beautiful layout of Imola, driving the BMW M3 E30 for the first time. The following two days, we adjusted the cars to ensure the best performance in qualifying, where we achieved pole position with the Escort and second place with the M3.’
Neuville expressed his desire to reduce commitments in the WRC next year, showing interest in participating again in the Le Mans Classic Series in 2027, and added: ‘I hope to find the opportunity to be part of this series again.’
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
