Neuville Targets Croatia Win to Break Toyota’s WRC Streak

Thierry Neuville holds a commanding lead heading into the final day of the WRC Croatia rally on April 12, 2026, positioning Hyundai to secure its first victory of the World Rally Championship season. Neuville enters the final four stages with a lead of 1m14.5s, providing the Korean manufacturer a significant opportunity to disrupt Toyota’s perfect winning streak this year.

The potential win is critical for Hyundai, which has faced a challenging start to the 2026 campaign. The team has struggled with its upgraded i20 N Rally1, particularly in low-grip conditions and on asphalt surfaces. These technical difficulties left Neuville and his teammates lacking confidence early in the season, resulting in heavy defeats to Toyota.

Toyota has dominated the early stages of the season, achieving a 100% win rate and locking out the podium in both Monte Carlo and Sweden. Hyundai’s best result prior to the current event in Croatia was a second-place finish in the Safari Rally Kenya in March 2026, achieved via Adrien Fourmaux.

Early Drama and Retirements

The rally began with significant volatility on Friday, April 10, 2026. Championship leader Elfyn Evans initially dominated the opening of the event, winning the first two stages and building a 15.8s lead. However, Evans suffered a costly retirement after stage three when he misjudged a right-hand corner and ran off the road at high speed.

Evans was not the only Toyota driver to exit the competition early. Oliver Solberg retired on the opening stage after clipping a rock face 4.8km into the rally, which sent his car off the road. M-Sport-Ford’s Jon Armstrong also retired during the opening day’s drama.

These retirements allowed Finland’s Sami Pajari to take the lead for the first time in his career. Pajari ended Friday with a 13.7s lead over Neuville, while Takamoto Katsuta sat in third place, 14.6s behind Pajari.

Of course, it feels nice [to lead] but there is still a long way to go. I have been in the mix for the top positions a couple of times and at the minute, for me it is not changing too much if we are 10 seconds in front or 10 seconds behind.

Sami Pajari

Shift in Momentum

The leaderboard shifted dramatically on Saturday, April 11, 2026. While Pajari and Katsuta were previously maintaining strong positions, both Toyota drivers suffered punctures that compromised their rallies. The setback for Pajari effectively ended his hopes for a maiden WRC victory.

Neuville capitalized on the Saturday turmoil to seize control of the event. Despite describing the 2026 season as the hardest of time of his career, the driver now finds himself in the best position to secure a win since his last victory in Saudi Arabia in 2025.

It was a crazy afternoon, difficult stages and challenging conditions but we got through. It is a shame for Taka [Katsuta] and [Sami] Pajari who were doing a good rally but [suffering punctures], that is rallying. We all know that feeling. We have to take that with the arms wide open and bring it home for the team tomorrow. It is very important.

Thierry Neuville

As the rally moves into the final day on April 12, 2026, Neuville’s primary objective remains bringing home the victory for Hyundai, prioritizing the win over the potential of Super Sunday points.