‘When you style the WRC title, you need extra’

Thierry Neuville says the starvation for a second World Rally Championship title is stronger than ever heading into the Monte Carlo season opener because the defending champion for the primary time.

Neuville will start his title defence this week in Monte Carlo after lastly attaining his final dream final season, as he solid apart the tagline of being the championship’s perennial runner-up. 

The Hyundai driver admitted final yr that successful the title supplied a big stress launch after years of striving to achieve the top of rallying. 

Heading into the brand new season with the #1 on the facet of his Hyundai i20 N, the Belgian says the success of final yr has additional fuelled his wishes for extra title glory.    

“Positively [hungry for another title], when you style it you need extra,” Neuville instructed Motorsport.com.  

“It’s all the time like this with all the things. For positive, undoubtedly what I wish to do is give it all the things like now we have performed within the different years. If all the things comes collectively we needs to be up there. 

“General I’d say that now we have clearly taken a little bit of weight off our shoulders for the title struggle and that title is one thing now we have been chasing for some time. 

“In any other case I’d say the stress to carry out, the stress to ship for the staff and the stress to be the most effective remains to be the identical. 

“Will probably be thrilling, it will likely be difficult and it will likely be powerful. I’m positive that this stress will probably be benefiting us to repeatedly maintain pushing as laborious as we will.”

When requested if now being a world rally champion might truly assist him carry out even higher in 2025, he added: “I don’t know. I believe the challenges would be the similar, there will probably be ups and downs like all the time.

“We now have to beat these challenges, and face them and attempt to do the most effective – however with the same technique to final yr fascinated by the factors and the championship

“I believe it will likely be 4 to 5 drivers [in the title fight] with Ott [Tanak], Kalle [Rovanpera], Elfyn [Evans] and possibly even Adrien [Fourmaux] becoming a member of the struggle.”

Neuville’s title defence will start with one of many WRC’s most demanding occasions in Monte Carlo, which will probably be even trickier for crews this yr following the introduction of latest Hankook tyres and the FIA’s transfer to take away hybrid energy from Rally1 automobiles. 

“We’re all clearly lacking expertise with the brand new tyres and we will solely get extra expertise now doing the rally,” he added.

“I believe we must have a intelligent method for Monte Carlo and I believe it will likely be a distinct Monte Carlo than in earlier years with some extra wintry situations. It received’t be straightforward however hopefully we will get a very good begin into the season.

“I’d be joyful to be on the rostrum and happy to be there however very joyful to be on the highest step.”