Thierry Neuville's World Rally Championship (WRC) title hopes took a hit at the Central European Rally as he lost the lead after making two critical mistakes in stage 11. The Hyundai driver had been leading the rally but slipped off the road twice, handing the top spot to Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier. Neuville’s errors dropped him to fourth place, now trailing Ogier by 33.6 seconds as the competition intensifies.
Neuville had initially held off pressure from his Hyundai teammate Ott Tänak during Saturday morning’s stages, but his missteps on the final stage of the loop allowed Ogier to capitalize. Tänak, who is Neuville’s closest challenger in the WRC title race, moved up to second place, only 4.6 seconds behind Ogier. Neuville must outscore Tänak by at least two points this weekend to secure the championship. Toyota’s Elfyn Evans followed in third place, 8.3 seconds off the lead, while Takamoto Katsuta, Sami Pahari, and Gregoire Munster completed the top seven.
The day began with challenging wet and foggy conditions in Germany, particularly in stage 9 (Grant und Wald, 20.0 km). These conditions triggered a series of incidents, with Andreas Mikkelsen suffering a slow-speed spin and M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux narrowly avoiding disaster when his Ford Puma slid off into the trees due to front differential issues. Fourmaux’s car problems worsened in later stages, leading to his eventual retirement after two further off-road excursions. His second incident damaged the rear of his car severely, forcing him to bow out of the day’s action.
Meanwhile, Tänak emerged as one of the fastest drivers in these treacherous conditions, winning stage 9 and briefly taking second overall, just behind Neuville. His strong performance was particularly evident as he finished 3.9 seconds ahead of Ogier, demonstrating his ability to navigate the slippery roads.
Neuville, however, was cautious in the tricky conditions, opting for a steady approach. While this helped him maintain his lead early on, the gap between him and his rivals began to narrow. Tänak and Ogier both gained ground, with Evans also delivering an impressive performance in stage 10 (Beyond Borders, 24.33 km) to claw his way back into contention. Evans' stage win pulled him within 10.1 seconds of the lead and kept Toyota in the fight for victory.
Neuville’s lead briefly extended to 2.2 seconds over Ogier by the end of stage 10, but his errors in stage 11 (Schardinger Innviertel, 17.35 km) proved costly. He ran off the road twice, relinquishing his lead and dropping to fourth. Ogier seized the opportunity and took the rally lead, with Tänak close behind in second. Katsuta and Munster also experienced moments of drama, with both drivers sliding off onto the grass but managing to recover without significant damage.
As the Central European Rally progresses, the battle for the WRC title remains intense. Neuville’s mistakes have opened the door for Ogier and Tänak to fight for victory, while Evans remains a dark horse in the race. With challenging conditions expected to continue, the rally is far from decided, and every second will count as the drivers push for a win.
