Neuville went off the road twice on the final stage of Saturday morning’s loop, dropping from the rally lead to fourth place. With teammate Ott Tänak in second, the Estonian is now poised to extend the title fight to the season finale in Japan.
Of course, Tänak’s task is still quite a heroic one, but perhaps Neuville is already feeling the pressure. The Hyundai star has repeatedly insisted that there’s no pressure and that he can keep his cool.
However, Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala suggested that after Neuville’s first spin, some pressure might have crept into his mind.
“When I saw the first spin, I said I hoped he wouldn’t start trying too hard. He mentioned a recce error after the second off, but maybe Thierry grew a horns on his forehead and tried to make up for the mistake,” Latvala told RallyJournal.com
“I got the feeling that it was more about that, but that’s just my personal opinion.”
Regardless, Neuville’s errors allowed Toyota to claim six more points from Saturday’s “long race.” Of course, both Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans still need to finish, but at this stage, it looks like Hyundai’s lead in the manufacturers’ championship is narrowing even further.
“Overall, Saturday was a good day for us. Thierry’s two mistakes on the same stage dropped him to fourth, and that opened the door for us. We were able to take advantage of that on Saturday by securing first and third places,” Latvala summarised.
“Sunday will be a very important day. If there’s a 17-point gap and we’ve already closed six of them, we still need to take a little more. If only a few points separate us, then everything will still be up for grabs in Japan.”
Latvala speculated that Neuville might not dare to fully attack for points on Sunday after his mistakes. The Belgian can’t afford to come away with nothing, or the drivers’ title battle could really catch fire.
“It’s true that Thierry is now in a new situation. He’s getting closer and closer to the drivers’ championship. There’s a certain amount of pressure there, so he can’t afford to take too many risks. It could be that he won’t push too hard,” Latvala reflected.
“In that sense, we have a chance to succeed and strike in the manufacturers’ championship. The chances in the drivers’ championship are slim; that’s done. But on the manufacturers’ side, we still have a shot, and the team is working together to make sure we can get it.”
