Neuville vows to ‘come back stronger’ after WRC Croatia Rally final-stage crash

Thierry Neuville says he will “keep fighting” and “come back stronger” after a dramatic final-stage mistake cost the 2024 FIA World Rally Champion a certain victory at Croatia Rally.

Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe looked set to claim their first win of the WRC season – and the first for Hyundai Motorsport – after building a lead of more than a minute heading into the rally-closing Wolf Power Stage, only for disaster to strike.

The Belgian misjudged a right-hander, went down an escape road, but hit a concrete block, causing terminal damage to in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1’s front-right suspension (above) and handing victory to Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston.

It means Hyundai’s search to end a winless run stretching back to Neuville’s victory at last November’s 2025 season-closing Rally Saudi Arabia goes on. With Katsuta’s Croatian win, Toyota is now on a four-win streak.

Afret working on the car for 20 minutes, a visibly devastated Neuville managed to nurse it to the stage stop line, before retiring from the event. The 37-year old was quick to apologize to the Hyundai team, for whom he’s driven since 2014, for the mistake and vowed to respond.

“First of all, I would like to express my apologies to the whole team – everybody who works with me throughout the whole year,” he said. “It’s a huge disappointment for Martijn and myself. We didn’t expect that, but unfortunately the rally can strike even at the very last stage.

“We were driving according to plan and our target was just to get through the stage, but unfortunately we were surprised on that corner. I probably turned in a bit too early and my first reaction was to open, and then the incident happened.

“It’s going to be a tough period for us, but we have no choice but to come back stronger and keep fighting. We won’t give up and our time will come again.”

Holding a 1m15s overall lead, Thierry Neuville was virtually assured of a Croatia victory in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 before his final stage crash.

Hyundai Motorsport sporting director Andrew Wheatley says the team’s response to Neuville’s Croatia drama could shape the course of its season.

“What we do in the next week will determine what we do in the next six months,” said Wheatley. “There’s nobody more devastated than Thierry, that’s for sure. We have no real comprehension of the stress and pressure those drivers are under, and being one minute in front is probably as stressful as being five seconds behind - maybe even more difficult, because you have to protect the lead.

“It was a simple mistake. Nothing had happened before that. There was gravel on the road and he was trying to be so careful that it actually became more complicated.”

But Wheatley made clear there would be no repercussions within the team for its lead driver.

“I cannot do anything to Thierry that will make him feel worse than he currently does,” he said. “He is absolutely devastated. This is not somebody who is used to making mistakes.

Neuville will be back behind the wheel next week when the WRC heads to the Canary Islands for round five, the all-asphalt Rally Canary Isles, April 23-26.

Catch WRC action from all rounds of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship on RACER Network and the RACER+ App. Tune in on Monday, April 27 at 9.00pm ET for full highlights from Rally Canary Isles.  

RACER Network is also your home for the WRC Magazine show. With new episodes landing on the Thursday before every WRC event, you can get up to speed for the all-asphalt action from the Canary isles on April 23.   

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