Q&A: Thierry Neuville - 24 April 2010

Thierry Neuville begins his six-event Intercontinental Rally Challenge programme on Rally Islas Canarias from 29 April-1 May driving a Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg 207 Super 2000 for Kronos Racing. He talks about his career so far and his hopes for this season.

When was your first rally?
“It was the East Belgian Rally in 2008 in a Ford Fiesta. I won a contest in Belgium from Ford and I had the chance to drive for one year for free.”

How did you get on?
“In the end of the year we were third in the championship but on all the rallies we were on the pace but we had some problems with the car so I was not champion. But we knew we were fast so the Belgian federation helped me and 2009 was a good year with Citroën and I won the Citroën Racing Trophy Belux. We did a lot of races and had some good results. In 2010 I hope it will also be good.”

Had you driven anything before the Fiesta?
“Before then I had an Opel Corsa to drive a little bit on the road and on the mountains. I did two hillclimbs but they were only 10 kilometres so I can’t say it was experience.”

Did any of your family rally?
“No, never. My father was a big fan of rally and autocross and would go to watch.”

What got you interested in rallying?
“We were always going to watch and I had a lot of friends who were driving also so I decided to try. With the contest I had a good opportunity to drive for a low budget so it was perfect because my family are not very rich.”

What makes you so good behind the wheel?
“I don’t think or say that I am good but I try always to be well prepared, to do a good job, to stay concentrated and, at the end, we have had some good results and I am quite happy. People are looking at me and that’s really important.”

How do you keep busy when you are not driving rally cars?
“I am still working a little bit when I have time. For sure now I am really busy but when I have time I have to work a little bit to have money. I work in an office. It’s just possible to live with that money but it’s not easy.”

Where do you live?
“I’m from Hünningen in the German part of Belgium so I speak German. It’s a little section between Belgium and Luxembourg. I live with my girlfriend Jessica.”

What are your interests outside of rallying?
“I do a lot of sport. After this I like chilling with friends, a little bit of karting and quads. I like anything with an engine.”

What do you hope to achieve in your career?
“To be one day world champion but I am not sure if I will get there. This year is very important for me. As well as doing the Intercontinental Rally Challenge I am also doing the FIA Junior World Rally Championship so I need to get some good results. In the JWRC I need to be on top at the end of the year but in the IRC it’s much more about gaining experience this season.”

Do you feel under any pressure to get those results and that experience?
“Not at the moment, no. Maybe at the end of the year when we are in a good position for sure the last race there could be some pressure.”

What knowledge do you have of the IRC events you are doing?
“We begin in the Canaries and after this we have Sardinia and Ypres. That’s on asphalt, it’s in Belgium and I like it from doing it last year for my first time in the Peugeot 207 Super 2000. After this it’s Barum, Sanremo and Scotland.”

So the only rally you know is Ypres...
“That’s right. In Ypres we can go on the pace with the others because last year I had no experience with the car and I was in fourth place for a while behind Kopecky, Meeke and Loix so that was not too bad. This year we can do the best result.”

Who is your hero in rallying?
“Sebastien Loeb. He’s had a really good career starting from zero and after he is world champion a lot of times. He’s a real inspiration how he did it.”

What rally car would you most like to drive?
“I don’t know for the moment. Every time I try another car I change my mind so right now it’s my Peugeot 207 Super 2000. I want to have the chance to drive one day a WRC car. That would be a real pleasure to drive.”

What’s the best thing about being a rally driver?
“All the things are very good. It’s a dream to be a rally driver so I consider everything to be good and fantastic.”

What do you least like about being a rally driver?
“Sometimes the pressure can be tough and it’s not easy to do a race when you have pressure. I don’t like that but for the moment it is okay.”