The unusual preparation Neuville’s WRC co-driver took for Rally Estonia

If you peeked through the window of Thierry Neuville’s Hyundai i20 N World Rally Championship car last weekend at the Goodwood Festival Speed, you wouldn’t have seen the reigning world champion wearing his orange rimmed spectacles.

Instead, it was another Belgian, albeit a familiar face, in Neuville’s world championship winning co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe sat behind the wheel of the WRC weapon. Normally Wydaeghe is armed with his pacenote book, pencil and stopwatches, but for once these were put aside and the driving gloves were firmly on for a rare opportunity, just days before round eight of the championship in Estonia this week.

“The team asked me a few weeks ago [if I would like to drive the car at Goodwood] and I didn’t hesitate too long actually,” Wydaeghe told Autosport. “It is a good opportunity just for fun. Out of competition I hope to do these kind of things as I’m passionate about rally, so when you have this opportunity you cannot say no.”

It is not unheard of for co-drivers to drive WRC cars on road sections during rallies but extremely rare to see them jump behind the wheel to tackle rally stages. For Wydaeghe, who has been Neuville’s navigator since 2021, the 32-year-old had never driven the i20 N Rally1 on a road section let alone a stage before last weekend. The Belgian and eight-time WRC rally winner didn’t go into Goodwood Festival of Speed completely blind having piloted Hyundai’s previous generation WRC car – the i20 Coupe – at Rally Legend in San Marino two years ago, with driver and Hyundai team-mate Dani Sordo in the passenger seat.

At Goodwood, Wydaeghe found himself thrusted into the driver seat, joined by guests in the passenger’s spot ready to be thrilled by the sheer power and brute force of a WRC car around the narrow and slippery Hannu Mikkola-designed 1.5-mile gravel rally stage. Before jumping in the driver’s seat Neuville had at least shown Wydaeghe how to start the car.

“I haven’t given him any advice at all. On a recent test I showed him the start button and that’s it,” Neuville said.

Wydaeghe added: “No [there was little advice], he [Thierry] was making me scared. It is very low grip and you cannot make a mistake, so I think when he sees a picture of the back [of the car featuring some dents] he will laugh a little bit.

“I tried to prepare as good as possible but if you are not used to driving this car [it is difficult]. I haven’t even driven it on a road section as some other co-drivers have, so when you discover 400 horsepower on a small stage it is normal that you are a little bit nervous.”

But there was little for Wydaeghe to be worried about. A close inspection of the i20 N’s rear bumpers revealed evidence of some over-exuberance and close calls with the inviting haybales that lined much of the stage. But, to the thousands of onlookers, all they would have seen is the orange and blue i20 N Rally1 flash by and kick up dust in spectacular fashion. But what was it like to ditch the pacenotes for the steering wheel and pedals?

“The rally stage is very tricky, it is very narrow and very slippery, so if you are not used to driving a rally car that is one thing, but to drive a Rally1 car is another level. I was really surprised by the low grip and you can feel that with the rear of the car. I was using the hay bales a bit to make the turns, but apart from that everything was going very smooth,” explained Wydaeghe.

While this was an opportunity to have fun and enjoy the feeling of piloting the current-specification of WRC monster, a day behind the wheel delivered a new perspective for the skills required to wheel these cars through the world’s toughest roads. Wydaeghe has sat through countless stages delivering pacenotes filled with information at a mesmerising pace. He’s felt the sheer eye-watering acceleration and braking forces the car produces and the extreme conditions inside the cabin. But when it comes to driving, Wydaeghe says Neuville and his contemporaries are superhuman.

“My respect for the WRC drivers and especially Thierry is amazing, it is the top of the top. It is only when you do it yourself you discover how difficult it is,” he added.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport

“If you look at what they can do on these fast and technical stages in all sorts of conditions, I really have to take my hat off to them. This is when you remember that you need a lot of talent and hard work to get to that level. I will be happy to be back on the right side of the car back in Rally Estonia, as that is where I belong.”

It might be a while before we see Wydaeghe in the driver seat of the i20 N Rally1 car again, but there is most definitely a desire to continue driving – just not in a competitive sense.

“I enjoy the driving when it is out of competition or a demonstration event like Goodwood,” he said. “I have zero ambition to be a professional driver but there are two things I definitely want to do in my life and it is Monte Carlo Historic as a driver for the experience and to discover the stages they did in the past. And my home event Ypres Rally, which was also where I got my first win in WRC [in 2021]. If one day I have an opportunity to do this rally as a zero car or course car I would love to do that.”

This week Wydaeghe will pick up the pacenote book, pencil, road books and stopwatches again to prepare for what will be a crucial round for the reigning world champions’, as they look to ignite their WRC title defence. Will it be difficult to remember which side of the car to jump in?

“It would be a good joke to play trying to get in the driver’s seat in Estonia!” Wydaeghe smiles.