A frustrated Thierry Neuville has ignited a debate on the World Rally Championship road position rules, saying “there is no reward” for doing a “great job” to lead the championship.
The Hyundai driver’s frustration came to the surface at the end of stage eight at Rally Latvia after a day sweeping the gravel roads at the top of the road order, as per the regulations for being the championship leader.
Neuville ended the day in ninth 1m23.3s behind rally leader and part-time driver Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera. The Belgian, who has opened the roads since taking the championship lead in Monte Carlo in January, had expected Friday to be the most challenging day of the season, given three of the seven tests were run only once and not repeated.
“I don’t know what to say. Obviously, the strategy to win the championship is not the same anymore,” said Neuville at the stage end. “Now things like doing a part-season are much more fun and a bigger benefit for everything, so it is something to think about.”
When asked by Motorsport.com if he stood by those comments directed at part-time drivers and the current road order rules, he added: “Yeah, definitely. I mean, why I should have the pain in the ass all weekend, all year long?
“I mean, we did a great job in the beginning of the year, and now there's no reward at all. Basically, you see your championship going down. There's nothing you can do and nothing you can fight against the others.
“We could have, whoever it is, Ott, Elfyn or myself, the winner of the championship at the end of the year winning maybe one rally.”
When asked what the solution should be for deciding the road order, he said: “It's an endless discussion, so I don't know what I should still add to it. It has been said many, many times. When [Sebastien] Ogier was opening the road there was some tarmac rally in the middle of the gravel rallies, and now we have eight gravel rallies in a row, what can you do?
“Even with a 40-point lead, there's no way to keep those points, so we have to fight.”
The European Rally Championship, operated by the WRC Promoter, runs a qualifying stage which decides the leg one road order of the fastest 15 drivers. A similar system was in place in the WRC from 2012-2013 before it was scrapped.
“How many years have we mentioned it? Nobody wants it [the qualifying stage]. I guess that the FIA and promoter are super happy [with] a young driver, driving for a second time, starting 10 on the road and able to set the fastest times. So that's what they like, but that's not what the manufacturers want,” he added.
Neuville’s comments sparked plenty of debate among his rivals on Friday night with rally leader Rovanpera forthright regarding his view on the matter.
“It's the same for years. It's not now more difficult than it has been in previous years,” Rovanpera told Motorsport.com.
“Now he [Thierry] knows what it is when he's opening the road. That's why everybody is crying. I'm crying when I do it, Seb [Ogier] did it for years before. That's just how it is, you need to take it. Otherwise, if you don't want to do it, don't lead the championship.”
Eight-time world champion Ogier has the most experience of opening the roads of the current crop of drivers. He offered some sympathy, having battled previously to change the rules which he feels robs rallies of battles between the best drivers.
“Unfortunately, it's like it is. I [was] suffering from this situation for many years,” Ogier told Motorsport.com.
“It's funny that a couple of years ago he [Thierry] was often saying that I should stop crying about it, but now he's crying more than anybody about it.
“It's not fun and it's not great. I think the shame is that we are missing opportunities too often in the WRC to have fights between the best because too often there are big differences between start positions, and then you just handicap the best too much. I have lost this fight for many years.”
Neuville’s nearest title rival Elfyn Evans, who ended Friday sitting seventh, added: “Of course, the qualifying thing has been discussed but it doesn't seem to be favoured, so there's not a lot more to discuss.
“If this is the way this is the way, it's for sure frustrating and in some ways confusing with the championship contenders down the back end of the top 10, let's say, but that's how it is for now.”
