The season ended in celebrations for Neuville last weekend. The Belgian driver had often come close to claiming the championship title in previous years, but this time he managed to see it through to the end.
Neuville led the championship from the opening round of the season. This meant that the Hyundai star had to take on the role of road sweeper in every gravel rally throughout the year. Despite this, Neuville stuck to his plan, consistently scored strong points, and reaped the rewards at the end of the season.
Some critics, however, have suggested that Neuville’s championship was won cheaply. Their reasoning points to the fact that two-time champion Kalle Rovanperä only competed in half the season, and that the Belgian also benefitted from the revised points system.
Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier has no time for such comments.
“Every world title is well-deserved. Congratulations to him on his season. Consistency paid off,” Ogier told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.
“People often talk about ‘beautiful’ or ‘ugly’ champions, but for me, that doesn’t make sense. Every champion deserves their title because they did a better job than their competitors over the course of the season,” Ogier stated firmly.
Before his first championship win, Neuville had finished as runner-up in the WRC an impressive five times. This season, Neuville kept his campaign intact until the very end.
“He’s been fighting for years and never gave up. His efforts have been rewarded,” Ogier commended his rival.
Neuville will continue as a Hyundai driver for the 2025 season. Ogier, meanwhile, will return as a part-time driver for Toyota.
