Hyundai star Thierry Neuville had already tested Hyundai’s Rally2 car on Wednesday in order to gain an extra “free” test day on Hankook tyres on slippery asphalt roads. On Thursday, Neuville was scheduled to complete a full test day with Hyundai’s full-spec Rally1 car.
Read more: What on earth? Thierry Neuville swaps Rally1 for Rally2 in unusual test
However, the Belgian’s test day was cut short. The reason was heavy snowfall.
“One might think that’s good because these are the conditions we hope to have for the rally. But the past proves that it’s been a long time since we’ve had these conditions. So it’s not the optimal conditions for us today,” Neuville said in his Instagram story.
Neuville managed to drive for only about an hour before the 2024 world champion’s running was put on hold. The road was repeatedly cleared, but the situation did not improve as fresh snow continued to fall.
Hyundai had hoped to test its car updates in less snowy conditions. As a result, the team contacted the FIA to request that Neuville’s official test day be postponed to a later date.
“The snow continues to fall so we decided to cancel the day. The FIA has also given us permission to postpone the day to the end of the week,” Neuville said.
Watch videos from Neuville’s test below.
While Neuville’s running was limited, last year’s world champion Sébastien Ogier more than made up for it behind the wheel of Toyota’s Rally1 car. Snowfall was at least as heavy at Toyota’s test location, but that did not stop the French star.
The slippery conditions were naturally reflected in Ogier’s pace, but he was still able to put on a show for rally fans who had gathered along the test stage, delivering plenty of wide lines and spectacular driving.
Watch videos from Ogier’s test below.
Ogier has won the Rally Monte Carlo ten times in total – nine of those victories coming when the event has counted as a WRC round. In a couple of weeks’ time, he will once again be chasing another win at his home event.
Rally Monte Carlo will be contested on 22–25 January.
