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Thierry Neuville’s shocking shakedown disaster: driveshaft failure sends him crashing into the bank

Carl Smith by Carl Smith
January 22, 2026
in Motorsports, WRC
Reading Time: 2 mins read
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Thierry Neuville’s shocking shakedown disaster: driveshaft failure sends him crashing into the bank

Thierry Neuville (BEL) Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) Of team HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WORLD RALLY TEAM are seen performing during the World Rally Championship Monte-Carlo in Gap, France on 21,January. 2025 // Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202601210732 // Usage for editorial use only //

Chaos Strikes Thierry Neuville in Monte Carlo Rally Shakedown!

In a shocking turn of events at the Monte Carlo Rally shakedown, rally star Thierry Neuville found himself in a precarious situation that left fans gasping. The Belgian driver, representing Hyundai, experienced a dramatic setback when he collided with a bank on his second run, leaving his vehicle with a severely damaged right-front wheel.

Neuville’s first run was already less than stellar, clocking in a staggering ten seconds behind the leaders. Why? The talented driver was experimenting with studded tires on dry asphalt, preparing for the impending snow and ice forecasted for later in the week. However, it was during his second pass that disaster struck; footage circulating on social media captured the moment the car careened into a bank, causing significant distress among his team and fans alike.

The underlying cause of this mishap? A broken driveshaft. Neuville revealed to DirtFish, “It was a chaotic start for us. We had a driveshaft issue at the beginning of the stage. While we were driving slowly, trying to just drive out of the stage, we had a suspension failure.” The exact relationship between the broken driveshaft and the subsequent impact remains unclear. “Maybe the driveshaft started to flap and it cut the wishbone, so we need to find out,” he stated, reflecting the uncertainty lingering over the incident.

Hyundai’s sporting director, Andrew Wheatley, confirmed the ongoing investigation into the troubling mechanical failure. “We’re not 100% sure; there’s still an investigation ongoing, but at the moment, it looks like a driveshaft broke and after the driveshaft broke, he got pulled into the ditch,” Wheatley explained, acknowledging the unfortunate nature of the incident as the team gears up for the competitive rally season.

This unsettling incident not only sets a disheartening tone for Neuville’s 2023 campaign but also raises questions about potential lingering issues from previous races. Wheatley admitted, “That I don’t know. That’s where the investigation is at the moment, and that’s going to take a little time to understand.”

The time-sensitive nature of this investigation cannot be overstated. Just 50 minutes prior to the interview, the team received the damaged parts back from the road, heightening the urgency to assess the situation. “For sure, it’s something that we’ve been testing. We had a problem with it, and we’ve been doing quite a lot of work to try and make it right. So this is suboptimal, [but] I can’t say too much until we know what the actual results are.”

As the dust settles from this chaotic start, fans will be watching closely to see how Neuville and the Hyundai team respond. Will they overcome this mechanical nightmare and rise to the challenges that lie ahead in the Monte Carlo Rally? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the rally world is holding its breath for what could be an explosive season ahead!

Tags: 100-acre-wood-rallyhyundai-bossThierry Neuville
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