Thierry Neuville will receive a hero’s welcome when he arrives in his Belgian homeland for the next round of the World Rally Championship – but that admiration comes with expectation. Neuville has competed at the Renties Ypres Rally Belgium seven times before, most importantly in 2019, when he drove a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC. He is the only person on the entry list to have driven a current World Rally Car on those roads. Two years ago – the event didn’t run last year due to the coronavirus pandemic – Neuville won the Ypres Rally Masters, an event designed for current World Rally Cars and non-homologated cars of the past.

Follow MotorMouth on social media:

• 
• 
• 
•