Thierry Neuville sorry for Ypres misdemeanour

WIWNEUVILLE%3b109 Thierry Neuville sorry for Ypres misdemeanour

Photo: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge
BFGoodrich Drivers Team
Round 5: Ypres Westhoek Rally
20 June
Final

RETIREMENT FOR THIERRY NEUVILLE

After figuring as high as fourth overall on the opening day of the 2009 Belgium Ypres Rally, local youngster Thierry Neuville was forced to retire shortly before the end of the first leg. The BFGoodrich Drivers Team Peugeot was cheered on by the tens of thousands of fans who turned out to watch the Flanders-based event.

With only one stage remaining before Friday evening's overnight halt in Ypres, Thierry Neuville lost control of his Peugeot 207 S2000 which swiped a post on the infamous Hollebeke stage. The resulting damage prevented the BFGoodrich Drivers Team representative from going any further…

"I am so sorry for everyone at Kronos Racing, BFGoodrich and all those whose votes put me in the Peugeot this weekend. I was caught out by a small jump which sent my car off line. There wasn't much I could do about it. It's such a shame," he acknowledges.

Thierry Neuville sorry for Ypres misdemeanour

Photo: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

Thanks to his speed and consistency up to that point, 21-year old Thierry Neuville had just moved into fourth place ahead of factory drivers Giandomenico Basso (Abarth/BFGoodrich) and Juho Hanninen (Skoda/BFGoodrich). "We got off to a great start, and we were between fourth and seventh fastest on all the stages we completed," Thierry continues. "We even succeeded in posting the fastest time on Thursday evening's shakedown, level with Duval and Loix. I couldn't have wished for a better start."

"Thierry's retirement in no way calls his talent into question, nor the BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation which was once again a huge success with the local crowd," reports Jacques Morelli, the man in charge of BFGoodrich's IRC programme.

"Thierry had plenty of people supporting him and his BFGoodrich Peugeot this weekend. He failed to make it to the finish, but that's rallying…"

The third port of call for the BFGoodrich Drivers Team operation this season will be the Czech Republic's Barum Rally Zlin (August 21-23) where the driver chosen by last year's jury – Pavel Valousek – finished fourth in 2008. Applications to be drive the BFGoodrich car opened on June 1 and are due to close on June 30.