Thierry Neuville, driver for the Hyundai World Rally team, is preparing for the Rally Islas Canarias, where he expresses his desire to “make everyone proud” after a mistake that cost him victory in Croatia. With an impressive performance, Neuville led the race until the last stage before crashing into a concrete block that seriously damaged the suspension of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1.
After retiring, Neuville expressed his disappointment and vowed to return stronger. This week, he is back behind the wheel to prepare for the Rally Portugal, which will take place after the Canarias event.
In the lead-up to the race, the Belgian emphasizes the characteristics of the Rally Islas Canarias, considering it one of the clearest tarmac events of the season. “The roads are clean and offer the highest grip conditions,” he commented. However, he recognizes that the key is precision in the pacenotes due to the demanding technical nature of the routes.
Hyundai suffered a heavy defeat last year against Toyota, which achieved a spectacular 1-2-3-4. However, the team has shown signs of progress, and although expectations are realistic, they are determined to optimize their preparation for the upcoming event alongside experienced driver Dani Sordo, who will return to the team’s third car.
Andrew Wheatley, Hyundai’s sporting director, acknowledged that the disappointment of Croatia is in the past and that the team must be ready to seize any opportunity presented to them in the Canarias. “We are focused on forgetting what happened and giving it our all in this race,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI