The Belgian came close to joining an embarrassing group who, as defending champions, would not have won a single round. Neuville, however, avoided that fate by driving to victory in the eventful season-ending rally. Although the win did go on his tally, Neuville admits the year has been a challenging one.
Neuville, who finished fifth in the World Championship standings, has suffered bad luck but has also made mistakes of his own. Hyundai’s performance level also fell well short.
“Nothing really worked as we might have imagined after last year. Toyota were extremely strong; we were very, very weak. As a team, we didn’t manage to rise to the challenges we faced at the start of the season. The new tyres, the development of the car, with which we never found the right settings,” Neuville says to Belgian channel RTBF.
“And then we were at a disadvantage compared with Toyota, which didn’t allow us to carry out as many tests as they could. I can guarantee you that I am extremely happy the season is over. The motivation just wasn’t the same at a certain point, when you know you’re not coming to fight for the win.”
Neuville emphasises that the lack of motivation tended to strike especially between rallies, when there was time to think about things. On the special stages, however, the 37-year-old veteran still feels the very reason he first fell so passionately in love with rallying.
“But every time I put my helmet back on, I feel that I live above all for this passion. For me, it’s a dream. And every time I put my helmet back on, I manage to forget all those difficult moments,” Neuville sums up.
“On the other hand, it’s true that between rallies and stages, sometimes it’s extremely hard. You have to go and find motivation each time. Still, results like this one give the team hope, even if we shouldn’t get too carried away.”
Neuville is right in the sense that the victory in Saudi Arabia says very little about Hyundai’s current performance level compared with Toyota. In Saudi Arabia, luck played a significant role in the final results. The new season begins already in January with the legendary Monte Carlo round, so the WRC teams will have only a short winter break.
“The coming weeks will be crucial and will give us an idea of what 2026 might look like. We’re going to have to work hard. Some small improvements should arrive. We hope so, fingers crossed. Now is the time to double our efforts and put in place the team we need.”
“Many people have left, and we’ve changed facilities, which are still not adapted to what we do. There is an enormous amount of work to do in a short time to be ready for 2026.”
