AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear

Neuville’s Rocky Start: Monte Carlo Disaster Puts World Title Defense on Shaky Ground

Publisher by Publisher
January 29, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Neuville’s Rocky Start: Monte Carlo Disaster Puts World Title Defense on Shaky Ground

Thierry Neuville (BEL) and 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 January 24, 2025. // Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202501240430 // Usage for editorial use only //

World Rally Championship history has shown that a bad start doesn’t necessarily doom a title bid—just ask Richard Burns, who won the championship despite scoring zero points in the opening two rounds. But Thierry Neuville’s underwhelming performance at Monte Carlo 2025 has raised early questions about whether his first title defense is already in trouble.

A year after delivering a dominant Monte Carlo victory, Neuville’s return as world champion was anything but convincing. The Belgian driver limped home in sixth place, securing just eight points, plus a solitary Super Sunday bonus point.

Instead of setting the tone for a strong title defense, Neuville left Monte Carlo looking like a driver struggling for rhythm.

What Went Wrong for Neuville?

The 2024 Monte Carlo Rally saw Neuville produce a statement drive that put the championship on notice. In 2025, however, he was off the pace, committing multiple costly errors and failing to win a single stage—something seven other drivers managed to do.

Among his biggest mistakes:

  • Going off on the same corner twice
  • Clipping a rock face—an uncharacteristic rookie error
  • Struggling to adapt to the mixed grip levels on studded tires

Neuville owned up to his miscalculations, admitting:

“It went wrong on a big braking in front of a hairpin where obviously I made a mistake. I misjudged the grip from the tires, the studded tires, on the dry Tarmac, and I got surprised. So that was the first hit, then obviously the puncture, then the technical issue. So all in all, a challenging weekend.”

Cause for Concern? Neuville Says No—But Should We Believe Him?

Neuville’s Sunday performance was particularly alarming, as he secured just one Super Sunday point—his worst showing since Croatia last year. But despite the early-season setback, he’s not worried about a long-term slump.

“No, no, no. I mean, it was Monte-specific,” Neuville insisted. “We used that weekend for a bit of testing at some point as well.”

Still, title rivals like Ott Tänak, Elfyn Evans, and Kalle Rovanperä will smell blood. With Neuville’s rocky start, the championship race is already tightening up.

Looking Ahead: Sweden as a Redemption Opportunity

Neuville knows he can’t afford another weak result in Sweden. Fortunately, he’s optimistic that the upcoming rally will provide a chance to rebound.

“Let’s say that, yeah, we can be quite optimistic about Sweden, for sure,” Neuville said. “The better road position will help us to have a better rally. But still, we need to take the benefit from that, so that will be our target for the upcoming event.”

With better road conditions and a fresh mindset, Neuville will have the opportunity to right the ship—but if he stumbles again, the 2025 WRC title race could slip away faster than expected.

Share212Tweet133Send

Related Posts

FIA steward claims Michael Masi ‘gifted’ Max Verstappen the 2021 F1 title: explosive revelations
Motorsports

FIA steward claims Michael Masi ‘gifted’ Max Verstappen the 2021 F1 title: explosive revelations

Title: Shocking Claims: Did Michael Masi Hand the 2021 F1 Championship to Max Verstappen? In a bombshell revelation that has...

by Miguel Cunha
January 17, 2026
Liam Lawson teams up with Nick Cassidy to master crucial F1 energy tricks for 2026
Motorsports

Liam Lawson teams up with Nick Cassidy to master crucial F1 energy tricks for 2026

Getty Images

by David Castro
January 17, 2026
Dale Earnhardt Jr. unleashes fury over NASCAR’s controversial OEM rule: fans divided in outrage
Motorsports

Dale Earnhardt Jr. unleashes fury over NASCAR’s controversial OEM rule: fans divided in outrage

imago images / Icon SMI

by Harry Bright
January 17, 2026
Kyle Busch’s NASCAR comeback: can he defy the odds and reclaim his glory?
Motorsports

Kyle Busch’s NASCAR comeback: can he defy the odds and reclaim his glory?

Kyle Busch’s NASCAR Comeback: A Dream Deferred as Fans Doubt the Legend’s Revival In a shocking twist of fate, NASCAR...

by David Castro
January 17, 2026

Recent News

FIA steward claims Michael Masi ‘gifted’ Max Verstappen the 2021 F1 title: explosive revelations

FIA steward claims Michael Masi ‘gifted’ Max Verstappen the 2021 F1 title: explosive revelations

January 17, 2026
Liam Lawson teams up with Nick Cassidy to master crucial F1 energy tricks for 2026

Liam Lawson teams up with Nick Cassidy to master crucial F1 energy tricks for 2026

January 17, 2026
Dale Earnhardt Jr. unleashes fury over NASCAR’s controversial OEM rule: fans divided in outrage

Dale Earnhardt Jr. unleashes fury over NASCAR’s controversial OEM rule: fans divided in outrage

January 17, 2026
Kyle Busch’s NASCAR comeback: can he defy the odds and reclaim his glory?

Kyle Busch’s NASCAR comeback: can he defy the odds and reclaim his glory?

January 17, 2026

Newsletter

  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TECHNICAL INFORMATION
  • EDITORIAL STATUS
  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

MSports Play Icon
MSports Play
The New streaming service
Download
×
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.