WRC Portugal win puts belief back in Hyundai, says Neuville

Thierry Neuville says his Rally Portugal victory last weekend has restored belief inside Hyundai Motorsport after a frustrating start to the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship season.

The Belgian and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe claimed Hyundai’s first WRC win of the year in the sixth event of the season, ending Toyota Gazoo Racing’s unbeaten start to 2026 after a dramatic final morning on the gravel stages of northern Portugal.

Neuville’s factory i20 N Rally1 moved into the lead when long-time rally leader Sebastien Ogier stopped to change a wheel on the penultimate stage in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, but the 2024 WRC champ was keen to look beyond the late drama. For him, the real significance was Hyundai’s ability to stay in the fight throughout a punishing gravel weekend.

“More than the victory, which is definitely very important for the team because they desperately needed it, I think to see that the performance was there throughout the whole weekend is probably the most encouraging thing,” Neuville said.

“We can fight on a continuous basis at the top level. I was able to manage my rally a little bit as well and that’s the key. If you want to win rallies, you need to be able to build your weekend and manage your weekend.

“You can only do that when the car works, the confidence is there and the feeling is there. Otherwise, it’s just not possible.”

Portugal marked Neuville’s 23rd WRC victory and his second on the Matosinhos-based event, eight years after a 2018 win. It also arrived after a difficult opening sequence to the season, including crashing out of the all-asphalt Croatia Rally on the final stage while leading and no podium finishes from the first five rounds.

It’s been a tough start to 2026 for Hyundai, but Thierry Neuville believes his Portugal win will put the belief back. Red Bull Content Pool

“Personally, for me it’s a bit of revenge,” he admitted. “I gave back what I should have given to the team in Croatia, for sure. And for the team it was definitely very important. It will give a good boost. For them to see that we can still win is very motivating.”

After Ogier’s penultimate-stage issues, Neuville carried a 14.8s lead over Toyota’s Oliver Solberg into the rally-ending Wolf Power Stage. But the Hyundau driver noticed drops of rain at the start line which then eased, only for heavier rain to return shortly after he had reached the finish.

“I had to drive fast because I knew that if the rain came, we could easily lose 10 or 15 seconds over [two or three miles] of the stage,” he said. “So I drove reasonably fast, not too fast. We crossed the finish line and two minutes later it was pouring down. So it was pretty close.”

Toyota still leads the WRC drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships by comfortable margins, with Elfyn Evans extending his drivers’ championship advantage to 12 points with third in Portugal. But Neuville believes the gravel events ahead can give Hyundai further opportunities, provided the team continues to build on the progress shown last weekend.

“To always be at the top, you need the best package,” he said. “For the moment, Toyota has the best package. They are also more numerous than we are. But we have something, I think. On some of the events we can fight, like here, on a continuous basis for victory.”

Next up, it’s another all-asphalt event, Rally Japan on May 28-31. But beyond that, a run of loose-surface events, starting with Greece’s super-rough Acropolis Rally, gives Neuville cause for optimism.

“Japan will be a tough one, but from Greece onward, hopefully we will be strong,” he said. “[Portugal] has shown us that we need to carry on believing and working hard. Not giving up, and then we get the payback.”

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