A campaign already defined by hardship came to a painful crescendo in Sardinia as Thierry Neuville suffered his third consecutive retirement. The Belgian star went off the road during the opening stages of the afternoon loop, bringing a devastating end to another weekend of promise for Hyundai.
Before the heartbreaking collision with a trackside tree, the Rally1 contender was locked in an intense battle for victory. Sitting comfortably in second place just behind rally leader Oliver Solberg, the speed was evidently there to fight at the very sharp end of the grid.
Reflecting on the decisive moment, Neuville admitted a minor steering adjustment to avoid a known rock on the inside line caused the rear of the car to snap loose. The resulting impact tore the wheel away and instantly dashed all remaining competitive aspirations for the event.
The statistics paint a grim picture for the former champion, who will finish a disappointing seventh in the final standings. Enduring five separate retirements across the calendar, his only genuine highlights remained a solitary victory in Portugal and a runner-up finish in Greece.
With only a final day of damage limitation remaining, the collective mood inside the service park is one of sheer relief that a deeply frustrating year is finally drawing to its inevitable conclusion.
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