Hyundai Motorsport has announced the contract extension of Thierry Neuville for three more seasons in the FIA World Rally Championship.
The Belgian will stay with the South Korean manufacturer until the 2021 season along with his longtime co-driver Spaniard Nicolas Gilsoul driving the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC car in the world’s biggest rally competition.
“I am really happy to sign a new three-year contract with Hyundai Motorsport,” said Neuville. “We have improved a lot in recent seasons, and it has always been my target to build continuity for my career by remaining with this team.
“There is a fantastic family atmosphere and I get on very well with my team-mates. Alongside Nicolas, who has played a key role in our successes, our focus is on completing this current season in the strongest way possible, aiming to secure the titles.”
Team principal Michel Nandan added: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with Thierry and Nicolas for a further three seasons. They have both played a crucial role in building up the Hyundai Motorsport WRC programme over the past five years.
“Thierry and Nicolas have proven to be outstanding ambassadors for Hyundai on the global motorsport stage, and they are very well respected – in and outside of our team. We are pleased to continue working with them over the coming years.
“As we build towards an exciting conclusion to this year’s WRC, with drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships still delicately poised, it is important for us that we can already look towards 2019 and beyond.”
Neuville stays with Andreas Mikkelsen, who had sign a two-year deal starting this season. The announcement also means that the Belgian will extend his stay at Hyundai for a total of eight seasons after having joined the team in 2014.
The Belgian is currently leading the 2018 standings with 172 points to Sebastien Ogier’s 149 with four more rallies remaining. In the manufacturers’ standings, Hyundai with 254 points leads Japanese manufacturer Toyota on 241.
