A technical issue struck Neuville’s Hyundai during Thursday’s second special stage, costing him around 20 seconds.
On Friday morning, the teams were allowed only 15 minutes for service, and Hyundai ran out of time to fully repair Neuville’s car. The Belgian’s service overran by six minutes, resulting in a one-minute time penalty.
Neuville’s car required a new driveshaft and gearbox on Friday morning. Despite the delay, the reigning world champion was able to start the day’s opening stage on time.
Because of the time penalty, Neuville dropped to one minute and 20 seconds behind the rally leader in the overall standings. However, with Safari Rally being one of the most punishing events on the calendar, large gaps are common, and Neuville still has a chance to fight for a strong result in Kenya.
His Hyundai team-mate Adrien Fourmaux was forced to retire on Thursday during a road section before SS2 due to an electrical issue. Hyundai managed to repair the Frenchman’s car, allowing him to rejoin the event on Friday morning – albeit with a ten-minute time penalty.
Friday’s itinerary at Safari Rally features eight special stages in total.
