Neuville’s Solberg how was misplaced – DirtFish

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I remember being enthralled and captivated by conversations with drivers from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s when they drove five-day rallies on just a few hours sleep, courtesy of a boot-load of amphetamines, cigarettes and a dash of vodka to kill the fear.

Those days are very, very much in the past. Different times, indeed.

Today manufacturers are governed and directed by the same human resources department that issues warning about the dangers of sharpening pencils. Sending a driver onto a stage when they can barely see straight is very much frowned upon. Thats why Hyundai Motorsport took precisely the right decision.

Part of the problem for Neuville was his own frustration.

As the Belgian told my DirtFish colleague Colin Clark, hed driven for his life on the powerstage and come away with third fastest time 2.6 seconds slower than Kalle Rovanper.

That wasnt enough for him. His drive, he felt, warranted the full five points.

Soon after he started to talk about Solberg. Asked whether he felt the teams decision was the wrong one, Neuville replied: I think there was a solution to continue on. It was important for the manufacturers points. I dont like seeing that we give up so quickly.

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