Thierry Neuville believes his Intercontinental Rally Challenge bid is back on track following his mid-season blip when he crashed out of June’s GEKO Ypres Rally in his Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg 207 Super 2000.
Neuville, the winner of Tour de Corse-E.Leclerc back in May, finished second – just 0.8s behind winner Jan Kopecký – on the Canon Mecsek Rallye earlier this month. He now hopes he can replicate that kind of form on Rallye Sanremo, which starts in the Italian town on Friday afternoon (23 September).
“The last few rallies have gone well,” said the Belgian rising star. “I started Barum [Czech Rally Zlín] aiming to get my confidence back with a top five finish and I was fourth. We then looked for a podium in Hungary and were second so I’m ready to push again in Sanremo.”
Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul prepared for Rallye Sanremo with a one-day test in Italy yesterday (Monday). Neuville was eighth on his Sanremo debut last season with former co-driver Nicolas Klinger.
After eight rounds Neuville is fourth in the IRC drivers’ standings.