Neuville concluded the 2024 season by clinching his first career world championship title. Now, as the defending champion, Neuville heads into the new season as the benchmark that every other driver aspires to beat.
The legendary Rally Monte Carlo once again opens the season. In recent years, Neuville has been in his element at Monte Carlo, having claimed victory there both last season and in 2020.
“It’s never three without two, and of course I would like to win Rally Monte Carlo for a third time, but it’s also one of the most difficult events to win,” Neuville says.
“Alongside the usual difficulties at Monte Carlo, we also have the challenge of the new tyres so there will be plenty of surprises in the conditions we haven’t tested in yet – we need to take it step-by-step to approach the limit.”
Weather always plays a significant role in Monte Carlo. Sometimes there’s plenty of snow and ice, while at other times the stages are pure tarmac. Still, there are always unknowns, making it extremely challenging for the drivers.
“At the moment we are expecting more wintery conditions than we have had in the past few years, which will make the event even more challenging, although we know in Monte Carlo the conditions are never guaranteed,” Neuville explains.
“The first target is always to finish, so if we are in the fight towards the end of the weekend, we will definitely give it an extra push.”
The Rally Monte Carlo kicks off on Thursday evening with three nighttime stages. The rally concludes on Sunday, with a total of 18 special stages and over 340 kilometres of competitive stages on challenging Alpine mountain roads.
