After a costly mistake on the final stage in Croatia last month, Thierry Neuville delivered a powerful response by winning Rally Portugal, handing Hyundai its first World Rally Championship victory of the season.
Neuville admitted that the win felt like personal “revenge” for letting the team down in Croatia. The 2024 world champion found himself in a similar position in Portugal—leading into the final stage—but this time he held his nerve.
Throughout the week, Neuville was in the hunt for victory. His opportunity came when Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier suffered a puncture on the penultimate stage, handing Neuville the lead. Unlike Croatia, where he made a mistake on the final stage, Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe completed the decisive stage flawlessly to claim their first win since last November’s season finale in Saudi Arabia.
The victory was Neuville’s 23rd WRC win, tying him with four-time champion Juha Kankkunen. The Belgian was visibly emotional at the finish, but the significance of the result went beyond personal redemption.
“Personally, it’s a bit of revenge. I gave back what I should have given to the team in Croatia for sure,” Neuville said. “But more than the victory—which is very important for the team because they desperately needed it—I think seeing that the performance was there the whole weekend is the most encouraging thing. We can fight at the top level. I was able to manage my race, and that’s key. If you want to win rallies, you need to build and manage your weekend. You can only do that if the car works and the confidence is there.”
Wydaeghe echoed the sentiment: “It means a lot to me, Thierry, and the team. After Croatia, we dropped very low, and it took effort to bounce back. But we came back stronger and showed our never-give-up mentality. Thanks to the team—they pushed hard over the last few weeks and deserve this.”
Neuville had struggled for confidence with the i20 N Evo Rally1 car, which has a narrow operating window. He described this season as the hardest of his WRC career. Now back on top, he says Rally Portugal is proof that persistence pays off.
“It has definitely been the most frustrating time of my career,” he added. “Not knowing the future, people leaving the team, not winning or getting podiums—it’s hard to stay optimistic. But this rally shows we need to keep believing, working hard, and never giving up. Then we get the payback.”
