– For Thierry Neuville, the triumph in Portugal in the World Rally Championship (WRC) was a very personal revenge. After a mistake on the Powerstage in Croatia cost the team the seemingly certain first win of the 2026 season, the Belgian felt a sense of duty. Over the weekend, the 2024 world champion found himself in an almost identical situation: He went into the big finale as the leader.
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Neuville was within striking distance of the lead throughout the weekend, but the golden opportunity to end Hyundai’s dry spell only arose when Toyota driver Sebastien Ogier lost the lead due to a tire damage in the penultimate stage.
Unlike in Croatia, Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe kept their nerves this time. They safely brought the victory home – the first success for Hyundai since the season finale in November last year in Saudi Arabia.
It was the 23rd career win for Neuville, putting him level with four-time champion Juha Kankkunen on the all-time list. After the setback in Croatia, the relief at the finish was palpable, but the significance of this success goes far beyond personal redemption.
“More than just a win”
“For me personally, it is a small revenge. I gave the team back what I should have actually delivered to them in Croatia,” Neuville admits to our English sister site Motorsport.com. “But even more important than the win – which the team desperately needed of course – was the performance over the entire weekend. It was extremely encouraging to see that we can compete at this top level.”
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Neuville also emphasizes the strategic component: “I was able to control my race, and that is the key. If you want to win rallies, you have to be able to build and manage your weekend. But that only works if the car functions and the confidence is there – otherwise, it is simply impossible.”
Co-driver Wydaeghe echoed the same sentiment: “This means a lot to us and the team. After the events in Croatia, we fell deeply. It took a lot of strength to get back up, but we came back stronger and proved our mentality of never giving up. A big thanks goes to the team, who have pushed insanely hard in recent weeks. They deserve it.”
Bright spot in difficult times
This season, Neuville often struggled with confidence in his Hyundai i20 N Evo Rally1, which has a very narrow operating window. The difficulties went so far that the Belgian described the current phase as the toughest of his entire WRC career. Now, back on the top step of the podium, he sees Portugal as proof that the team must never lose faith.
“It was definitely the most frustrating time of my career,” Neuville said openly. “In a situation where you don’t know what the future [of Hyundai in the WRC] looks like, where people leave the team and you neither win nor finish on the podium, it is difficult to stay optimistic. But the rally this weekend showed: We have to keep believing in ourselves, work hard, and not give up. Then success will come back too.”
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