In Monte Carlo, Neuville finished sixth, but after battling through numerous setbacks, he secured third place both in Sweden and Kenya. The defending world champion is currently second in the WRC standings. After three rallies, the gap to championship leader Toyota’s Elfyn Evans stands at a substantial 36 points.
According to Neuville, Evans’ strong form is no surprise. During the hybrid era of the WRC, Evans’ performances lacked their sharpest edge, but now that the hybrid units have been scrapped and the tyre supplier changed, Evans has rediscovered his old form.
“He’s a real contender, he always has been, he finished 2nd last year. He’s been battling Sébastien Ogier for the title for several years. He’s a real contender, he’s had a good start to the season, as we saw last year, Neuville emphasised on the Belgian RTBF’s website.
“But the hardest part for him is yet to come, that’s when we’ll have to be stronger than him.”
Last weekend’s Safari Rally Kenya was particularly gruelling for Neuville. The Belgian suffered from food poisoning and sunstroke, which, in addition to numerous technical issues, made the event a real ordeal.
“It’s a great reward after all the difficulties we experienced this weekend. Transmission issues, overheating, fogging on the windshield and lots of other little problems. We were rewarded for never giving up and always giving our all,” Neuville praised.
“Even with that difficult day yesterday, when we weren’t in great shape, we were sick. We were able to finish the job and bring the car home today with some good points.”
The WRC season continues in the Canary Islands at the end of April.
