Neuville’s first career world championship was sealed even before the conclusion of Rally Japan, as his teammate Ott Tänak crashed out on Sunday morning. Tänak had been the Belgian’s last challenger in the championship fight.
Neuville delivered a consistent season, leading the championship from the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo. He maintained his strong form and scored valuable points despite acting as the road-sweeper in every gravel rally of the season.
Neuville eventually claimed the title with a 32-point margin over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, who secured second place in the championship at the final stages. Evans achieved his first victory of the season in Japan after Tänak retired while leading.
Tänak had to settle for the final podium position in the championship standings. The gap between Evans and Tänak was ten points in favour of the Welshman.
Tänak’s crash on Sunday was also decisive in the battle for the manufacturers’ title. The Estonian’s misfortune gave Toyota the opportunity to overtake Hyundai, and the team capitalised on it. Toyota secured their fourth consecutive manufacturers’ championship on the Power Stage, finishing three points ahead of Hyundai.
Check out the final standings of the WRC here!
The 2025 WRC season kicks off in January with the iconic Rally Monte Carlo.
