Had his Hyundai i20 been more reliable, Thierry Neuville would have pushed Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier all the way in the World Rally Championship title fight. The fragile Hyundai was the year’s fastest car, and when the Belgian clicked with it he was unstoppable.
Dominant victories on home asphalt in Ypres, followed by one of the finest drives of the season in Spain, were the highlights and made even more impressive by working with a new co-driver in Martijn Wydaeghe.
PLUS: How Neuville stole the show from Ogier vs Evans slugfest in Spain
Neuville should have won in Portugal and on the return of the famous Safari Rally, only to be robbed of likely victory by a rear-suspension failure on the final day.
