Neuville's Championship Dreams Dashed in Central Europe

Thierry Neuville faces a setback in his world rally championship bid after losing his lead on the penultimate day of the Central European rally. The Hyundai driver fell to fourth place following errors in Austria. Neuville needs to finish ahead to secure the title early.

Thierry Neuville's aspirations to clinch his first world rally championship took a hit on Sunday after the Hyundai driver completed the penultimate day of the Central European rally in fourth position. Neuville, who had led overnight, saw his hopes slip after two significant off-road mishaps.

Starting with a 6.4 second advantage on Saturday morning, the Belgian driver was aiming to retain his momentum. However, he ended his day 39.8 seconds behind the leading Toyota driver, Sebastien Ogier, an eight-time world champion. The rally traverses locations in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Hyundai's Ott Tanak held onto second place with Toyota's Elfyn Evans in third in the asphalt rally. Despite the setback, Neuville still has a chance to secure the championship title early, provided he finishes two points clear of Tanak.

(With inputs from agencies.)