Hyundai WRC Drivers.
Thierry & Martijn.
Thierry aims to add to his victory tally in 2022. He now boasts 15 WRC wins entering his ninth year with Hyundai Motorsport. In his first season with co-driver Wydaeghe, the pair established a potent partnership that amassed two victories and a total of seven podiums.
Neuville
Thierry
Career.
Thierry enjoyed huge success at junior levels before making the step up to WRC in 2009, finishing second in the 2013 standings after a competitive season. Those performances caught the eye of our fledgling team, and we signed him for our debut season.
He scored our team’s debut podium in Mexico 2014, and a memorable 1-2 (ahead of Dani) in Rallye Deutschland – our maiden victory. A win in Sardinia was the highlight of 2016, in which he finished second in the drivers’ championship.
Thierry has since emerged a regular title contender, always at the forefront of the action. He finished as championship runner-up on four consecutive occasions from 2016-2019, increasing his points tally with each passing season. The Belgian has also won a WRC rally every year since 2016.
Recent highlights.
2021
All rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (12)
Best result: 1st overall (Rally Ypres, Rally de Espana)
Final classification: 3th
2020
All rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship with Hyundai (7)
Best result: 1st overall (Rallye Monte-Carlo)
Final classification: 4th
2019
All rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship with Hyundai (14)
Best result: 1st overall, Tour de Corse, Rally Argentina and Rally de España
Final classification: 2nd
My idol while growing up was my compatriot Bruno Thiry, but I was also a Schumacher fan in F1.
Interests.
Fitness, buggy driving, jet skiing, karting, and working on my cars.
Facts about Thierry.
What is your ideal destination for a holiday?
The Maldives are top of the list!
Which profession would you have chosen if you hadn’t become a rally driver?
I would have become a driving instructor instead.
What is your favourite food?
I love pasta.
Describe yourself in 3 words
Impatient, ambitious, sociable.
Wydaeghe
Martijn
Career.
Martijn started his rally career at an early age – 19 – making his co-driving debut in the second round of the Belgian Rally Championship, TAC Rally, in 2012. A year later, Martijn made his first WRC appearance with Philip Cracco at the 2013 Rallye de France – Alsace, where the crew finished fifth in class.
Martijn’s relationship with our team first began in 2016, when he joined forces with Chewon Lim as part of the Hyundai Motorsport Driver Development Program (HMDP). The crew competed in numerous European rallies as well as the 2017 edition of Rallye Deutschland.
In 2021, Martijn competed in his first full season in WRC as the co-driver to fellow Belgian, Thierry Neuville, with whom he continues to rally. He claimed his first WRC victory at his home event, Ypres Rally Belgium.
Recent highlights.
2021
All rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (12)
Best result: 1st overall (Rally Ypres, Rally de Espana)
Final classification: 3th
2020
Two rounds of the Belgian Rally Championship (2)
Best result: 6th in class (Rally van Haspengouw)
Final classification: 22nd
2019
Several rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship 2 (7)
Best result: 6th in class (Rally Italia Sardegna)
Final classification: 23rd
Three rounds of the Belgian Rally Championship (3)
Best result: 1st in class (Rallye du Condroz-Huy)
When I started following the WRC in the 00’s, I was big fan of Sébastien Loeb and I still am. Being Belgian, Freddy Loix is a HUGE influence for me.
Interests.
Mountain biking, travel, family & friends
Facts about Martijn.
What is your ideal destination for a holiday?
As long as there are mountains, beach and sun, I can go anywhere.
Which profession would you have chosen if you hadn’t become a rally co-driver?
I have only one goal in my life, and that is to be at the top of this sport. So I would like to keep it as it is now and not change anything.
What is your favourite food?
I always struggle to make a decision in restaurants because I like everything. So this question is quite complicated. But I like a lot of Mediterranean food.
Describe yourself in 3 words:
Motivated, dedicated, passionate
