Thierry Neuville claimed a dramatic Vodafone Rally de Portugal victory to revive his FIA World Rally Championship season and deliver Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team’s first win of 2026.
The 2024 world champion arrived at round six sitting only seventh in the drivers’ standings after a difficult opening sequence that included a final-stage crash whilst leading Croatia Rally and no podiums from the first five rounds. Hyundai, meanwhile, had watched Toyota win every rally so far this year.
The 2024 world champion arrived at round six sitting only seventh in the drivers’ standings after a difficult opening sequence that included a final-stage crash whilst leading Croatia Rally and no podiums from the first five rounds. Hyundai, meanwhile, had watched Toyota win every rally so far this year.
Portugal looked set to continue that pattern until the penultimate stage, when Sébastien Ogier stopped to change a right-rear damaged tyre on Vieira do Minho 2. The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver had started Sunday with a 21.9s lead and was closing on a record-extending eighth Portugal win, but his victory hopes disappeared in the rutted, rock-strewn conditions.
Neuville, who had kept himself in the fight throughout a punishing weekend of rain, mud and constantly changing grip, moved into the lead with only the Fafe Wolf Power Stage remaining. He and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe completed the final test without drama to win by 16.3s from Oliver Solberg.
It was Neuville’s 23rd WRC victory and his second in Portugal, eight years after his previous success on the Matosinhos-based gravel classic. More importantly, it gave Hyundai the breakthrough it badly needed after Toyota’s dominant start to the season.
“It’s a very special one,” said Neuville. “After what happened in Croatia and the struggles we have had for a while, this one comes very well.
“Not only for me and Martijn, but for the whole team. We never give up, and that paid this weekend. We were always up there, always on a good rhythm. Nothing was really perfect, but we always somehow got through.”
Ogier, who plummeted to sixth, said: “There are things you can’t control. Everything we could control this weekend, we did pretty well. It was hard luck today. Of course, we deserved a little bit better.”
Sami Pajari was also caught out on the same stage. The Finn had been on course for a fifth consecutive podium, but stopped to carry out wheel change and dropped from third to seventh.
Solberg inherited second after a turbulent rally of his own. The Swede led after Thursday, briefly reclaimed the lead on Saturday morning and then lost ground with tyre trouble and a spin. But he stayed close enough to benefit from Sunday’s drama and secured his first podium since winning Rallye Monte-Carlo in January.
“It was a big ping-pong result all weekend,” Solberg said. “After two tough Tarmac rallies, I’m just very happy to be back on the podium with some good points. Relieved, really.”
Championship leader Elfyn Evans completed the podium, 29.1s behind Neuville. The Welshman admitted he had not fully delivered the pace he wanted, but third place still strengthened his championship lead to 12 points over Takamoto Katsuta after six rounds.
Adrien Fourmaux finished fourth for Hyundai after a rally that promised much more. The Frenchman led earlier in the event before a Friday off and resulting double puncture dropped him down the order, but he ended with fastest time on the Power Stage.
Katsuta completed the top five, ahead of Ogier and Pajari, as Toyota’s final-day damage mounted. Dani Sordo brought the third Hyundai home in eighth after a difficult weekend, with M-Sport Ford’s Mārtiņš Sesks ninth and FIA WRC2 winner Teemu Suninen completing the top 10.
Matteo Fontana won FIA WRC3 with Ali Türkkan celebrating back-to-back FIA Junior WRC victories.
The FIA WRC heads east for FORUM8 Rally Japan from 28-31 May.
