On Saturday, Neuville squeezed into first place, although Toyota’s Elfyn Evans did briefly overtake him. Neuville secured 18 provisional championship points with a 4.9-second margin over Evans.
The Belgian driver’s day also included a fun bet. During the recce, his co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe commented on the 9.11-kilometre-long last stretch of the loop, saying he would buy a 911 model Porsche if the duo could win the special stage both times.
This indeed happened, so the pair are now headed to the car dealership.
“He will go for sure. He has no choice. I mean, everybody wants to see it now,” Neuville chuckled to RallyJournal.com
“It was a bit more like a fun story. He wanted a Porsche, so now he can get it.”
In rallying, the driver is responsible for paying the co-driver. Does Neuville need to pay his trusted co-driver more so he can afford the car?
“Oh, no. I think he’s paid well enough,” Neuville joked.
“Obviously, it was in my head on the last stage. I had to do a good stage, of course, not taking any risks only for that. But it was somewhere in my mind, and I absolutely wanted to take the fastest time. So I think he’s happy now.”
On Sunday, Neuville’s main task is, of course, to reach the finish line so the 18 points are secured. However, up to 12 more points are up for grabs on Sunday, so the Belgian is unlikely to just cruise. Additionally, winning the overall rally is always a goal.
“There are tricky stages tomorrow. Even if you know them well, they are really tricky. I mean, challenging, narrow, and lots of blind corners. So anything can happen there,” Neuville reminded.
“We need to stay concentrated tomorrow. Don’t make any mistakes and try to bring home the victory, but more importantly, some extra points.”
