Last year, Neuville at long last crowned his long career by claiming his first ever World Rally Championship title.
Defending that title, however, has proved extremely difficult this year, and the Belgian is already, at this point, practically out of the title fight.
Neuville has stood on the podium four times this season, but he has yet to take a single victory.
His campaign this year has been marked by inconsistency, punctures, and other technical problems.
And things are not looking much better for the Central European Rally either. In terms of starting positions, the Toyota drivers leading the championship will, at least in theory, have the most favourable road positions for the event, while Hyundai has also been struggling with performance.
Neuville admits openly that the championship is already practically lost. He trails Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier, the current points leader, by 58 points.
“I think the gap is, what, 60, 58 points or something. So I think we pretty much know that the chances are decreasing with every rally,” Neuville said.
Hyundai has faced performance issues this season not only on gravel but also on tarmac. The worst result came at the Rally Islas Canarias in the spring, where the top Hyundai driver, Adrien Fourmaux, finished fifth. Toyota, led by Kalle Rovanperä, secured a 1–2–3–4 finish on the Canary Islands.
The Canary Islands rally was, in fact, a relatively straightforward tarmac event, as there were hardly any cutting points. In Central Europe, on the other hand, the starting position plays a much greater role.
“And if you don’t have more speed than in Gran Canaria on tarmac, the chances are very small,” Neuville said bluntly.
