Neuville vows to repay backers with results

Thierry Neuville has vowed to repay his backers for their continued support in this season’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Neuville, 22, learned last week that he will contest a further seven rounds of the series this year despite his early exit from last month’s Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Driving a Kronos Racing-run Peugeot 207 Super 2000 under the Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg banner, Neuville will resume his IRC bid on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés, which takes place from 14-16 April.

Alongside new co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul, Neuville will also contest the rounds in France (Corsica), Belgium (Ypres), Czech Republic (Zlín), Hungary (Mescek), Italy (Sanremo) and United Kingdom (Scotland).

“Full of respect and admiration for all those people in Peugeot Belgium, Kronos Racing and the RACB [the Belgian motorsport federation] who have made and are making this adventure possible,” said Neuville. “I’ll never forget what they have done for me. You can count on me to pay back their faith.”

He continued: “The past three years have been a fantastic time for me. And what I’m going to experience in 2011 promises to be even more extraordinary. Thanks to Peugeot Belgium, I’m climbing up the career ladder at huge speed. I’m very happy.”