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.