Thierry Neuville finally got his revenge in Portugal.
Four weeks after losing a deserved victory on the final stage of Rally Croatia, the Belgian driver and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe secured their first win of the 2026 season — and Hyundai’s 35th in the World Rally Championship — in dramatic fashion at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal.
The result, their first win for Belgium since Rally Saudi Arabia, was forged in changing conditions, narrow margins and a single puncture that reshaped the final day.
The setting: gravel, rain and no margin for error
Rally de Portugal unfolded over 15–18 May around Matosinhos in northern Portugal, with stages that combined loose sand, embedded rocks and deeply rutted tracks. Long revered for its passionate crowds and technical complexity, the event once again proved why it’s a rite of passage in the WRC.racerviews+1
The rally was split into two distinct halves. Thursday and Friday featured dry conditions on the technical gravel stages, allowing drivers to push without the added complication of wet roads. But rain arrived on Saturday and Sunday, turning the surface slippery and unpredictable, drastically altering tyre strategy and car setup.
For the teams, the challenge was reading the road and managing risk under rapidly changing grip levels. For the drivers, it was a test of composure as much as outright pace.
Ogier leads, then stumbles
Sébastien Ogier, the event’s most successful modern driver with seven Portuguese victories, arrived as the man to beat. The Frenchman and co-driver Vincent Landais kept the pressure on throughout the weekend, balancing speed with caution in dry conditions.
Thursday’s opening leg was one of the longest single days on the 2026 calendar. Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria made a strong start, taking the first stage win of the rally and finishing Thursday in second overall.
Ogier and Tänak traded early blows, but the Estonian’s Hyundai struggled to find consistent pace on the rougher sections. Ogier seized the lead and held it into Sunday, his approach measured but relentless.
The final day, however, belonged to attrition.
On SS22, Ogier collected a puncture — a single, costly mistake that handed the lead to Neuville. With the lead now in his hands, the Belgian crew shifted to a controlled, measured approach, keeping the car out of trouble while the gap hardened.
In the end, Ogier’s puncture proved decisive. Neuville and Wydaeghe crossed the line as winners, capping a weekend defined by consistency and no major errors.
Neuville’s controlled masterclass
Neuville’s performance was a study in composure under pressure. The Belgian driver admitted the conditions were “crazy” and that the team had faced “all kinds of conditions and emotions” without ever losing significant time.
“What a weekend! It has been crazy out there, and we have faced all kinds of conditions and emotions, but we have been consistent, fighting with the fastest on every stage, never really losing a lot of time,” Neuville said. “I think that is what gave us the final victory, as well as making no mistakes.”
The crew scored 30 points in total, including four for the Power Stage and one for Super Sunday, adding to their championship tally.
On the Power Stage itself, Neuville narrowly lost out on the fastest time to team-mate Adrien Fourmaux, who took the top bonus point while Neuville settled for second-fastest.
Fourmaux, Sordo and the rest of the field
Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria had a strong weekend overall, claiming the Power Stage win and demonstrating strong pace throughout. Fourmaux’s performance underlined his growing comfort in the i20 N Rally1 and his ability to deliver on critical stages.
Dani Sordo and Cándido Carrera returned to Portuguese gravel in the second Hyundai, but struggled with the slippery conditions. Sordo admitted he was “not very happy with our performance” and didn’t feel good in the car, finishing eighth overall.
Still, the team was delighted for Neuville and Wydaeghe, with Sordo praising the collective effort across the Hyundai programme.
The enduring allure of Portugal
Rally Portugal 2026 reaffirmed its status as a crucible for the world’s best. Neuville’s win was a masterclass in risk management and consistency, but the rally’s true character lay in its unpredictability and the stories of those who endured.
The iconic Fafe jump remained the event’s theatrical highlight, drawing crowds that lined the banks in anticipation of airborne heroics. The atmosphere was raw, unsanitised and entirely organic — a reminder that rallying’s appeal lies in its proximity to danger.
Portugal’s stages have made and unmade reputations for decades. Markku Alén, the “King of Portugal,” won here five times, while Ogier’s seven victories cement his legacy in the event’s modern era. Yet the rally is as much about the unsung as the celebrated: the local drivers, the privateers nursing battered machinery, the moments of heartbreak on the final stage.
As the championship moves on, the echoes of Portugal — its dust, its drama, its defiant spirit — will linger. For Neuville and Hyundai, it’s a victory that feels like redemption, and a reminder of why this event remains a cornerstone of the WRC calendar.
