As if the spin moments earlier wasn’t enough, now it was happening again. And this time it could be all over.
For a few heart-stopping seconds, Thierry Neuville’s world championship dreams flashed before his eyes on last weekend’s Central European Rally.
Having led the standings ever since his win on the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally, Neuville had a realistic chance to sew up a maiden world crown on the roads of Czechia, Germany and Austria.
But Austria’s Schärdinger Innviertel stage on Saturday morning could have proved very costly.
Having already had a slow-speed spin, Neuville carried too much pace into a left-hander and bailed out into the neighboring field. But he reckoned without the wet grass and roadside drainage ditch and struggled to get back onto the road.
As it was, the Hyundai i20 N soon dug itself out of the shallow culvert and shipped only 30-odd seconds. Crisis averted.
Neuville was caught out twice by one slippery Austrian stage
“I knew we would get out at some point, whether we needed spectators or not,” Neuville calmly recounted to DirtFish. “The ditch wasn’t very deep, it was just the angle was very bad. And very slippery, obviously, in the field. But we didn’t lose too much time at the end, roughly 30 seconds, but enough to be out of the fight for the podium.”
Neuville’s world title dream wasn’t shattered, just put on hold for another month.
Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier eliminated himself from the drivers’ title fight when he crashed the next morning, while Neuville’s team-mate Ott Tänak managed to nibble only four points out of the Belgian’s chunky 29-point pre-CER advantage.
Neuville could breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that simply completing the route in Japan will almost certainly be enough to scratch a 15-year itch and clinch that long-awaited first world title.
In truth, he’d been relaxed about the situation throughout the week in Central Europe. Getting within touching distance of achieving a lifetime’s ambition must have had some impact on his psyche, but the 36-year-old wasn’t showing it.
“We don’t necessarily need to secure the title this weekend,” he said whenever asked about the situation. “I would be also happy to go with a comfortable lead into Japan.”
You sensed he meant it. This wasn’t an unconvincing line trotted out by someone afraid of fumbling his big chance. This was the cool, calm demeanor of an experienced professional at the top of his game.
With a very healthy points advantage and two asphalt rallies to end the season, Neuville knew the cards were stacked in his favor. No need to tempt fate by rushing to get it done at the first opportunity.
Neuville maintained a calm demeanor throughout CER
“I feel pretty relaxed about it, to be honest,” Neuville told DirtFish while leading the rally on Friday. “But I was very focused as well on our driving. On a day like this, with such challenging conditions and the fog and tricky road conditions, somehow I was able to stay very focused on my main job, which is the most important one.”
Yes, there were two mistakes on the hazardous Austrian asphalt. Perhaps the nerves were creeping in. But Neuville was far from alone in being caught out. If anything, the presence of mind to straighten the steering – and not risk a spin that could have turned into a roll – displayed a champion’s mindset. And if his mind had been wandering in the slightest, he wouldn’t let it again.
Neuville stayed cool, refocused and outscored Tänak on Sunday. Holding a 25-point lead going into the final round of the season, he remains the odds-on favorite.
“After yesterday’s disappointment, we knew that it was clearly impossible to take the title here this weekend,” he reflected.
“Nevertheless, a good outcome for us. We targeted some extra points here this weekend and tried to do a good powerstage despite not the perfect tire choice. We were the fastest of those who were on softs and we were able to take some points back on Ott as well, which I think is a good result at the end for us.
“Twenty-five points gap leading to Japan: it’s a comfortable lead and I feel comfortable with that.
“Of course, we would all have liked to take it here: the fans, the Belgian supporters, the family was there. Nevertheless, I know as well that they will be very happy as well if we take it in Japan finally. So I don’t see any reason to be disappointed.”
Winning the title at CER would have been nice for Neuville, but not crucial
Hyundai isn’t yet home and dry in the manufacturers’ championship either, meaning a cruise-and-collect drive on Rally Japan isn’t really an option from the team’s point of view. But Neuville isn’t worried, pointing out that third driver Andreas Mikkelsen is a more-than-useful backup, having dominated WRC2 on the event last year.
“All season long there have been no team orders on that perspective, such as me and Ott have been free to fight for it,” he said. “Nevertheless, there’s the manufacturers’ championship to fight for as well, so definitely we have to see what will be the best strategy to fight for that.
“We don’t need to forget we have a third car as well with Andreas, who can be strong over there as well, and has some experience from last year there.
“So, I think that everything is in good hands and we know what we have to do as a team and for myself as well.
“We will prepare our race as always, and maybe even a bit more, and make sure that we have a decent race without, obviously, risking everything.”
