Thierry Neuville arrives at Rally Chile with a clear target: fighting for victory. Even so, the Hyundai driver candidly admits that this Andean round is not his favourite.
For him, Chile offers a very different challenge compared to Paraguay, which took place just two weeks ago. The most striking difference lies in the road surface, which offers more grip but also causes higher tyre wear.
"In Paraguay, the surface is hard, extremely slippery, and compact. In Chile, the roads can be a little rougher and more rutted," he said when comparing the two events.
Paraguay itself was a nightmare for Neuville. His rally ended in retirement after the opening stage when a puncture damaged the car's suspension. Now, he stresses that tyre management will once again be a key factor in Chile, including tyre choice influenced by road position.
"This isn't the rally I enjoy most, but when the feeling in the car is good, it is enjoyable to drive there, even though the rally is technically demanding," said Neuville, who has finished fourth in Chile for the past two years.
Although his championship hopes for this season are already over, Neuville remains hungry for wins. He has mixed memories of Chile: a crash in 2019 and a second place in 2023. "Our clear goal is to fight for victory. Toyota will be extremely strong, but Paraguay showed that our car can be fast," he asserted.
Interestingly, Hyundai is said to have made further progress with the car's set-up since Paraguay. Neuville is confident in that direction: "The set-up is slightly different, but the base is good, as are the choices we have made between these two rallies. I am therefore fairly confident that we will have the pace."
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