Thierry Neuville says he stayed calm during Rally Mexico drama
Thierry Neuville said he managed to remain calm during the post-Rally Mexico drama that nearly cost him the Hyundai i20's first World Rally Championship podium
After completing the final stage in third overall, behind only the dominant Volkswagens, Neuville's car developed a radiator leak.
Had he not made it back to the official finish in the service park in Leon, he would have lost his podium finish, but he managed to nurse the car back - at one point pouring beer into the radiator.
"We had a small hole in the radiator and we fixed it and got back on time," said Neuville.
"It was very stressful but we stayed calm.
"On the road section we had to wait for more than 20 minutes and we had 34 kilometres to run and we had a hot temperature from the car and we realised that we needed to fix the problem.
"I tried to put something on the hole and fill the radiator with water and beer and we came back!
"When I realised we had still 25 kilometres to go, I thought maybe it was the end. Then we stopped the engine and the temperature went down and we thought it was OK."
Hyundai had predicted before the start that it would be further off the pace in Mexico than it had in Monte Carlo and Sweden, where it showed promise but was hamstrung by incidents, including mistakes from Neuville on both rallies.
"We knew it would be difficult," said Neuville.
"We had a weekend without trouble except for the last stage! Saying that, the team has done a good job.
"We were not on the pace of Volkswagen but we knew we might struggle with the temperature and the altitude.
"We are still improving. I hope it does not take too long to be here again at the [top three] press conference."
Rally Mexico: Sebastien Ogier wins in dominant Volkswagen one-two
Ogier debated allowing Latvala to retain WRC points lead
Why WRC's Safari tour is more than just a rally
OPINION: A source of national pride in Kenya, the Safari Rally is also a sporting, cultural and economic phenomenon. And as last weekend's World Rally Championship round reminded us, it's a key driver in establishing Africa’s place in world motorsport
How Rovanpera tamed a wild Safari Rally
The Safari Rally acted as a brutal test of driver and car resolve as multiple retirements opened the path for a historic Toyota 1-2-3-4 triumph, headed by star Kalle Rovanpera. But keeping things clean was only half of the challenge, as a well-timed charge when conditions worsened allowed the Finn to take control
How Tanak turned the tables to deliver Hyundai a timely WRC triumph
The 2019 champion has been a bit-part player recently, but Ott Tanak ended a 15-month drought in fine style with a dominant win in Sardinia. On a weekend when championship leader Kalle Rovanpera struggled with cleaning the road, his Hyundai rival has made his belated arrival into the title race and given cause for those predicting a walkover from the Toyota star to pause
How Rovanpera overcame rallying royalty in Portugal to extend his WRC lead
Although the Rally Portugal entry list featured World Rally Championship royalty in Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier, victory was secured by rallying's rising star in Kalle Rovanpera. Here's the story of his 2022 hat-trick, as his key rivals faltered among the gravel and asphalt ahead of them
The former WRC star playing the unsung hero role for Rovanpera
Kalle Rovanpera’s 2022 World Rally Championship displays have been spectacular, with the Toyota driver benefitting from a secret weapon in his crew to win two of the opening three rallies. But while the former challenger to Sebastien Loeb won’t take credit for his fellow Finn's performances, a key bond has been formed which could prove key to Rovanpera’s title charge
How Rovanpera's Croatia turnaround sent a message to his WRC rivals
After a dominating Rally Croatia, a wrong tyre choice on the final day looked to have undone all Kalle Rovanpera's hard work and left him with a mountain to climb heading into the power stage. That he emerged the winner all the same has surely quelled any lingering doubts that the Finn is the man to beat in the 2022 WRC
How M-Sport's faith in Loubet led to a WRC reprieve after a dismal 2021
It's fair to say 2021 was a year to forget for Pierre-Louis Loubet. A maiden full World Rally Championship season offered hope but soon turned into a nightmare that ended in hospital, after being hit by a car in a road traffic accident. Now handed a lifeline by M-Sport, the Frenchman is desperate to rebuild his career
Why WRC mechanics deserve more respect
The drivers get the glare of attention, but it’s the mechanics who are key to the operation of any World Rally Championship car. Autosport donned a set of overalls and joined M-Sport on a Belgian national rally event to get an inside look into the trials and tribulations of a rally mechanic