Thierry Neuville’s quest for his first FIA World Rally Championship title hit a devastating roadblock during a dramatic Saturday at the Central European Rally. After leading the all-asphalt rally through Friday’s stages, the Hyundai driver’s fortunes took a sharp turn when he slid off the road twice on a single stage, relinquishing his lead and dropping to fourth overall.
Neuville, who had been on course to solidify his title hopes, spun out during the Beyond Borders 1 stage. His first off-road excursion cost him only a few seconds, but the second proved catastrophic. The Belgian veered off into a ditch, losing 40 precious seconds as he struggled to free his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 from a concrete drainage ditch. His mistake allowed eight-time champion Sebastien Ogier to reclaim the lead.
Ogier, piloting his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, capitalized on Neuville’s misfortune to regain control, finishing the day 5.2 seconds ahead of Hyundai’s Ott Tanak, who set two fastest times in pursuit of the Frenchman. Elfyn Evans rounded out the top three, 14 seconds off Ogier’s time, while Neuville trailed in fourth, 39.8 seconds behind.
The implications for the championship battle are monumental. Neuville, who needed to outscore his nearest rival Tanak by two points to secure the title this weekend, now finds himself playing catch-up. With just one rally remaining after Central Europe, the title will likely be decided at the season finale in Japan.
“We paid the price for a mistake in the recce with the pace notes. It was too fast for the conditions. I’m disappointed, but the rally isn’t over, and we’ll push on tomorrow,” said a deflated Neuville.
As Neuville grappled with his off-road mishaps, Ogier displayed his championship mettle, taking three stage wins to assert his dominance. Tanak, determined to keep the pressure on, also showed blistering pace but fell short of overtaking the Frenchman.
Further down the field, Takamoto Katsuta secured fifth place despite a time penalty for exceeding speed limits in a virtual chicane. Sami Pajari sits in sixth after his first-ever Rally1 asphalt start, while Gregoire Munster took seventh overall for M-Sport Ford. Munster’s teammate, Adrien Fourmaux, was forced to retire after suffering a front differential failure.
In the WRC2 category, the battle took a wild turn. Yohan Rossel, the only driver capable of keeping his title hopes alive with a win, endured a disastrous day after sliding off the road and damaging his Citroen C3. This effectively handed the title fight over to Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari, with both drivers set to settle the score in the season’s final rally in Japan.
As the rally heads into Sunday’s four-stage finale, all eyes are on Neuville. Can the Belgian salvage his hopes, or will Ogier and Tanak maintain their advantage? With bonus points up for grabs in the Wolf Power Stage, the final day promises intense drama and high stakes.
WRC Central European Rally, standings after Leg Two, SS14:
- Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 2h10m12.7s
- Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +5.2s
- Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +14.0s
- Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +39.8s
- Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m31.8s
- Sami Pajari/Enni Malkonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2m07.3s
- Gregoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) +3m22.7s
- Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Citroen C3 – WRC2 leader) +7m39.6s
- Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2 – non-points) +8m10.6s
- Filip Mares/Radovan Bucha (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – WRC2) +9m30.4s
The stage is set for a thrilling finale, with everything to play for in the final push for glory.
