In the previous round in Sardinia, Neuville made a significant mistake, driving off the road from third place on Saturday. This simple error cost him many crucial championship points, but on the other hand, the Belgian made up for it by winning Sunday’s short race and the rally-ending Power Stage.
Next, the world rally championship continues with three fast gravel rallies, as points are contested in Poland, Latvia, and Finland. Traditionally, and statistically speaking, Hyundai and Neuville have not excelled in fast rallies, but in the last couple of years, the Belgian’s pace has improved on the gravel roads of Central Finland, for example.
Certainly, Esapekka Lappi joining the Hyundai team and the team’s test area in Jämsä, Central Finland, have helped. Neuville also acknowledges this. Last season, Neuville finished second in the Rally Finland. He also took the same position a couple of weeks earlier in Estonia.
“Since we are testing also in Finland, we have improved on that surface, which was clearly for me, from a driver’s point of view, always a struggle because you don’t get so much mileage on those roads,” Neuville says on Dirtfish’s site.
“But since we’re testing there, I’m getting more confident and understand more the techniques as well over there, and the car obviously improved.”
Neuville has great memories of Poland, where the race was last held in 2017. Neuville won that race with a commanding lead over his then-teammate Hayden Paddon. Neuville emphasises that Poland’s road type is distinctly different from the conditions in Finland, even though both are fast races.
“I mean, Poland, it’s still a bit different type and will be soft surface, and on soft surface, we are not too bad, Neuville reminds.
“It’s mainly on the hard ground like Estonia or even more Finland where we struggle a lot, and we have been better. I believe there’s still room for improvement on those surfaces.”
