Neuville: testing accident won’t change my approach to Corsica

April 3, 2018 0 Comments

Thierry Neuville says that his accident last week during his final Tour of Corsica test won’t change his approach to this weekend’s event, as he and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul look to win the famous Tarmac WRC event for a third time.

Their Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC test car ran wide at a left-hander on an approach to a bridge and plunged over the edge – dropping over five metres into a stream below. The car was badly damaged, although Neuville and Gilsoul were uninjured.

The accident happened near Bastia, to the north of the island, where new Tour de Corse stages will be run this week.

After scoring victory at Rally Sweden this year, Neuville is currently second in the WRC standings after three rounds, four points behind reigning champion Sebastien Ogier.

“Tour de Corse is one of my personal highlights of the season,” says Neuville. “We have some good memories from this rally across the years; we have won twice, including last year’s WRC victory so I am hoping for another competitive weekend. We had an accident towards the end of the pre-event test but that won’t change our approach to this rally. We know it will be a close contest again, as there are many quick drivers. The long stages that are a particular characteristic of Corsica mean we have to keep focused at all times. It is a really demanding event for crews and teams but we’re determined to strengthen our position in both championships.”

Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul wear Stilo WRC Zero helmets.