Thierry Neuville has said his ability to keep calm in moments of adversity and his "never give up" attitude were key to finally achieving the World Rally Championship title.
The five-time WRC runner-up (2013, 2016-2019) took the last step and became a world champion after finishing sixth in a dramatic season finale in Japan.
After leading the championship since winning January’s Monte Carlo opener, Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe only needed to score six points to seal the title.
However, the journey to a maiden crown wasn’t made easy when a turbo failure on Friday put the championship in doubt. A stellar fightback from 15th to sixth offered hope before a crash from rival and Hyundai team-mate Ott Tanak ultimately sealed his fate.
When asked if there was a moment when he thought the lifelong dream of winning the title wouldn’t happen, Neuville told Autosport: “Friday morning was a big hit for sure.
“We were lying second and we probably would have won the rally this weekend or finish second at least and we got a big hit.
“That was tough but again me and Martijn kept calm. We had those 25 points as a lead which basically gave us the hope for a better result at the end of the weekend.
“We made it. I’m very proud and I’m very happy and it is just a reward for years of fighting and never giving up.
“It is not so easy [to stay calm in difficult moments] but it is probably the experience. I have the capability of telling myself that I’m living a dream and there are only a few that live that and get that opportunity to do what I have dreamed of doing.
“I always try to tell myself that if things don’t go your way you are still living [the] dream and try to benefit from it.
“Of course, sometimes I don’t and this year it has been particularly challenging. There has been the road cleaning, the part-time drivers and it didn’t always feel right, but on the other hand we had to do the job and we kept doing it.”
Neuville’s co-driver Wydaeghe pinpointed a strong mental resolve that he and Neuville possess as critical factors in their push for the title.
“The pressure [of leading the championship all year] was okay, it was really the circumstances we were driving in like opening the road everywhere,” Wydaeghe told Autosport.
“We knew it would happen and make things complicated but I think our strong point this year is our mentality and our mindset. We kept pushing and optimising everything - that was the key to the success.
“It also shows that everything around us was working well, the team and everyone around us, we had a good bubble of five or six people. This is what we need to be protected from all these things.”
Now that Neuville has achieved his ultimate career goal, the 36-year-old believes his approach next year will be different.
“I think I will enjoy it more,” he added. “I think there will be a little bit less pressure now as the last [box] has been ticked and now everything will be a bonus.”
