The reigning world champion ended Saturday’s stages in third place, but he is just 6.3 seconds behind Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, who currently leads the event.
Neuville also has another Toyota driver, Takamoto Katsuta, ahead of him, with only a three-second gap separating them. This sets the stage for an intense battle on the final special stages of the rally.
Earlier on Saturday, Neuville was 15 seconds behind the leader before he delivered two stunning stage wins, bringing himself right into contention for victory.
“This was a good day from us. We were able to put on pressure and improve all the time. We worked on the balance of the car, which still needs some improvement for tomorrow, but we knew what we needed to do,” Neuville said.
“We will continue working in the same direction so we can try to chase Elfyn and Taka, who have been driving a great rally so far. But we are close, so we will keep pushing,” the Belgian star added.
Sunday’s itinerary consists of just three stages, but the Västervik stage, which will be run twice, stretches nearly 30 kilometres, offering plenty of opportunities for a final attack.
“The long stage is going to be challenging, but we have fresh tyres for tomorrow. I have to make the most of it and just go for it,” Neuville said.
