Two victories in Monte-Carlo and Greece, and podiums in Croatia, Portugal, Finland and Central Europe on their way to winning the championship
Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe secured their first FIA World Rally Championship Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ titles after a season full of twists and turns – but from the very first to the very last round of the year, the Belgians were in command of the points standings.
Victory at Rallye Monte-Carlo in January put them on the front foot, and their management of the trials and tribulations that came their way ensured they never relinquished their hold on the top spot. Below, the 2024 world champions reflect on their milestone achievement.
Thierry, you have been with Hyundai Motorsport for nearly 12 years now, previously taking two FIA WRC manufacturers’ titles together: how does it feel to now add the drivers’ crown to that success?
Thierry Neuville: “It feels very special to claim Hyundai’s first FIA WRC drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles. We made this the target right at the start of the season, and now it is mission accomplished. It is never easy in such a high level championship as the WRC, so I am very pleased and thankful to Hyundai Motorsport, my team, and my co-driver Martijn – to whom I owe so much of this success.”
You have been together with Martijn for four seasons now – how have you progressed into a championship-winning partnership?
TN: “As I said, I owe Martijn a lot. He’s very dedicated and meticulous and a very positive person, which mirrors my mentality too. We keep our heads up even in the most difficult situations; we stay calm and focused on the task at hand, which was exactly what I was looking for and what I like about my collaboration with Martijn. He is very professional in what we does.”
Tell us more about this year and how you won the championship.
TN: “A lot of things came together this season. We had a new structure in the team, but also a new Technical Director, FX Demaison, who joined us last year. There’s some very talented and clever people behind the scenes, and Cyril joining the company has heavily influenced this. The goals for the year were clear, and we had a competitive car too. The performance and reliability was quite stable throughout the year. This helped us to manage the season very well with a big push at the beginning of the year, then the turning point in Greece, and finally managing our pace and advantage all the way to the final round.”
Was this a childhood dream of yours?
TN: “To be honest, my childhood dream was always to be a rally driver, so everything after that has been a bonus! After I achieved that initial milestone of becoming a professional rally driver, my dreams just kept on growing and evolving. This trophy is the reward for all that hard work and effort to get to this moment, that we have put throughout my career. There have been many ups and downs, but also plenty of victories and many, many podiums throughout the years. We have been close to the FIA WRC drivers’ title on a few occasions, but this year we nailed it.”
Martijn, how does it feel to be world champion?
Martijn Wydaeghe: “It still hasn’t really sunk in that we are the 2024 FIA WRC drivers’ and co-drivers’ champions, but I think it soon will. I’m really proud that I can call myself a world champion because no one can take that away from me – I’ll be a world champion until I die, so that’s pretty cool! There was so many emotions but we really enjoyed the final stages of Rally Japan. With the drivers’ and co-drivers’ championships decided, we were able to drive with a more open mindset and a good speed. A lot of Belgians came to Japan to cheer for us and my girlfriend was waiting for us at the finish line. You realise you’re not doing this alone; there is a lot of people around us experiencing the rollercoaster of emotions, and it was a magical moment to celebrate with them.”
What does it mean to take the title for Hyundai Motorsport?
MW: “It means a lot. Everyone talks about the driver and co-driver but we couldn’t do it without everyone in the team. They have played a big role in our success, and I cannot thank them enough. I’d also like to say a few words about our small Belgian team too, who are working so hard in extremely long days – like Florian [Haut-Labourdette] staying up until midnight cleaning up the pace notes. Without this support, it is impossible to achieve good results.
You have faced some challenging obstacles this season: how did you overcome them to now be champions?
MW: “Our mental resilience has been our biggest strength this season. On the gravel rallies we were struggling so much because we were making the line for those behind us on the road, but we kept going – although yes, we were vocal about our frustrations about it! But we were working hard to optimise everything and to have good Sundays. We were one of the crews that adapted best to the Super Sunday points system, which was really important this year.”
What was your toughest moment, and what was the highlight?
MW: “Personally speaking, the toughest moment for me was Croatia. It is a shame that it happened, but everyone can make mistakes. It showed that in this sport, every detail and every millisecond can have a big influence. Again, we showed that we never give up, and we went on to finish the rally scoring a podium and a good haul of points. For me, it was a hard one to swallow, but our good mental mindset helped us to recover and in the end, it’s part of a nice story. The highlight is definitely our victory in Monte-Carlo. It’s a rally that makes small children dream about rally; even if you know nothing about the sport, you know Monte-Carlo, so to get victory there was the perfect way to start this incredible season – one for the history books, it’s just magic.”
All results are subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA
