Neuville splits with co-driver Gilsoul ahead of WRC season
Thierry Neuville has split with long-term co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul one week before the start of the 2021 World Rally Championship season.
Hyundai i20 WRC driver Neuville has entered next week’s shortened Rallye Monte-Carlo with Martijn Wydaeghe in the navigator’s seat.
However, it has yet to be confirmed by Neuville or Hyundai Motorsport whether Wydaeghe’s involvement will extend beyond the opening round.
Announced this morning, the decision brings to an end Neuville's ten-year partnership with Gilsoul.
“We couldn’t find an agreement with Nicolas for this new season,” explained Neuville. “So we decided to stop our cooperation.
“We have great memories together and I want to thank him for his work during the last ten years.
“Now it is time to focus on Rallye Monte-Carlo and we are working hard with Martijn to get ready – although it will be a very challenging event for both of us."
Neuville and Gilsoul had been together since the second round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011. On the following event – the Tour de Corse – they led the field home by almost 16 seconds in a Peugeot 207 S2000.
The following season they made the switch to the sport’s top division with the Citroen Junior squad and went on to claim 13 WRC wins, with their first coming at Rally Germany in 2014 and their most recent on last year’s Rallye Monte-Carlo.
They have finished runners-up in the title fight on five occasions, including four times from 2016 to 2019.
Wydaeghe has worked with the Hyundai squad back and forth – most recently when he sat alongside Craig Breen at the 2019 Rally Monza Show in northern Italy.
That same year, the 28-year-old started seven rounds of the World Rally Championship's WRC2 support series in a Citroen C3 R5 with fellow Belgian, Guillaume de Mevius.
Neuville becomes the second member of the Hyundai team to call on the services of a different co-driver for 2021.
Last December, Dani Sordo confirmed that after Rallye Monte-Carlo, Borja Rozada will partner him instead of Carlos del Barrio.
Despite calling del Barrio an “excellent partner”, three-time WRC rally winner Sordo said the “best thing” was for them to go their separate ways.
Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai Motorsport Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Related video
Arctic Rally Finland replaces Sweden on WRC calendar
Neuville to make co-driver call after Monte Carlo
The former WRC star playing the unsung hero role for Rovanpera
Kalle Rovanpera’s 2022 World Rally Championship displays have been spectacular, with the Toyota driver benefitting from a secret weapon in his crew to win two of the opening three rallies. But while the former challenger to Sebastien Loeb won’t take credit for his fellow Finn's performances, a key bond has been formed which could prove key to Rovanpera’s title charge
How Rovanpera's Croatia turnaround sent a message to his WRC rivals
After a dominating Rally Croatia, a wrong tyre choice on the final day looked to have undone all Kalle Rovanpera's hard work and left him with a mountain to climb heading into the power stage. That he emerged the winner all the same has surely quelled any lingering doubts that the Finn is the man to beat in the 2022 WRC
How M-Sport's faith in Loubet led to a WRC reprieve after a dismal 2021
It's fair to say 2021 was a year to forget for Pierre-Louis Loubet. A maiden full World Rally Championship season offered hope but soon turned into a nightmare that ended in hospital, after being hit by a car in a road traffic accident. Now handed a lifeline by M-Sport, the Frenchman is desperate to rebuild his career
Why WRC mechanics deserve more respect
The drivers get the glare of attention, but it’s the mechanics who are key to the operation of any World Rally Championship car. Motorsport.com donned a set of overalls and joined M-Sport on a Belgian national rally event to get an inside look into the life of a rally mechanic.
The African McRae aiming to become a WRC pioneer
Taking his first step into the Junior World Rally Championship category, McRae Kimathi - named after 1995 world champion Colin - found himself in the unfamiliar climes of Sweden's snow and ice. Having impressed, Kimathi hopes to blaze a trail to the top level of WRC and help other African drivers to step onto the ladder
How Rovanpera grabbed the Rally Sweden spotlight
After a blockbuster opening act to the new era of the World Rally Championship with the battle of the Sebastiens at Monte Carlo, Rally Sweden would be the first chance to assess the next superstar of rallying. While teething issues with the new hybrid power thwarted some of the cast, Kalle Rovanpera’s display gave him headline billing
The "painful" journey behind the WRC's generational tech innovation
As the company selected to provide the hybrid kits for the 2022 World Rally Championship, the pressure was on Compact Dynamics at the Monte Carlo season opener. Needing to treat all three manufacturers equally, it wasn't a straightforward process, but its first big test was a resounding success that bodes well for the future.
The mentality shift key to Lappi’s shot at WRC redemption
He appeared poised to become the World Rally Championship’s new bright young star five years ago, but Esapekka Lappi's fortunes since his 2017 breakthrough win offer a cautionary tale of how the tables can turn. Now having rebuilt his career, the Finn is determined to make the most of his second shot at the big time with Toyota.