Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe claimed the prestigious FIA championship trophies in Kigali, Rwanda. Their smiles were wide as they held the trophies in their arms.
“The smile says it all. Bravo, Thierry and Martijn,” FIA conveyed late on Friday evening via social media.
At the celebration, Neuville had some rather unexpected company as the Belgian posed with American comedian Steve Harvey. Also in the photo was rally legend Michèle Mouton, who was honoured at the gala for her long career in rallying.
Toyota’s rally team was honoured in Rwanda for winning the manufacturers’ championship. For the Japanese manufacturer, it marked their fourth consecutive title. The championship trophy was received in Kigali by Scott Martin, known as Elfyn Evans’ co-driver, along with Yuichiro Haruna, one of the leaders of the WRC team.
Sami Pajari, who won the WRC2 championship, was also present in Kigali. Pajari was honoured at the gala, albeit with a slightly smaller trophy. His co-driver during the championship year, Enni Mälkönen, was not present in Rwanda — at least, she was not seen in the photo shared on Pajari’s Instagram stories. Next season, Pajari will compete alongside Marko Salminen.
In fact, Pajari and Mälkönen secured two titles in the past season, as the Finnish duo also claimed the WRC2 Challenger championship. Next year, Pajari will compete at the sport’s highest level with a Rally1 car.
