Thierry Neuville escaped uninjured after a violent crash into a bridge: Now he explains why a bale of straw may have saved his life
Thierry Neuville and his co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe escaped uninjured after a violent accident at the Central European Rally. The reigning world champion was grateful for the safety measures taken by the World Rally Championship (WRC), which he believes played a decisive role in ensuring that both men escaped without injury.
“I’m fine so far, even though I’m in a bit of pain at the moment. Martijn and I had a pretty heavy impact, but we were thoroughly examined, both by the rescue team and at the hospital. Everyone did an excellent job and we are both fine,” said Neuville, who was in seventh place before the accident.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning on the 15th special stage when the Belgian’s Hyundai i20 N Rally1 crashed into a bridge secured by a straw bale. Due to the accident, the organizers decided to cancel the stage for safety reasons.
Straw bale cushions impact
Neuville and Wydaeghe were examined by doctors immediately at the scene of the accident. Neuville was taken to hospital by ambulance and his co-driver by helicopter for further checks. Both were able to return to the service park uninjured in the afternoon.
One corner, two very different outcomes CER2025 WRC pic.twitter.com/BodxZw2b00
— Hyundai Motorsport (@HMSGOfficial) October 19, 2025
“Everything was normal, but I made a mistake. There was a small gap between the bridge and the concrete that I wanted to use. I thought there would be room there, but that wasn’t the case. I turned the wheel and we hit the bridge in the middle with the car. That was my mistake. In rallying, small mistakes can have big consequences. It was a violent impact, but fortunately the car and the safety equipment prevented anything worse from happening,” Neuville said, describing the accident.
After the accident, the organizers took additional safety measures so that the track could be used again before the final power stage. Neuville’s teammate Ott Tänak briefly got into trouble at the same spot, but was able to avoid it.
Ongoing work on safety
Looking back, Neuville was relieved that a straw bale had been placed at the end of the bridge and praised the ongoing efforts to improve safety in rallying.
“This is part of the work we have been doing together with the FIA for years. Julien Ingrassia, Sebastien Ogier’s former co-driver, has also contributed a lot in this area in recent years. All co-drivers regularly provide feedback after rallies. Today, that may have saved lives,” Neuville emphasized.
