Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe definitely entered motorsport history. At the end of a thrilling Rally Japan, the Belgian driver and his co-driver won their maiden World Rally Championship title. This is also a milestone for Bell Racing, as Neuville and Wydaeghe are the first WRC winners with our helmets 23 years after Richard Burns and Robert Reid.
This is the culmination of a journey that Bell Racing began in 2021 under Racing Force Group, by launching a completely revamped range for the rally market. Thierry was one of the first top drivers in the discipline to choose our helmets combined with the audio technology of Zeronoise, which at the time was just a promising start-up. Since then, Thierry and Martin have been instrumental in the development of our products, providing valuable feedback and transmitting their hunger for victory.
“We have finished runners-up many times, but we never gave up hope that our time would come. I would also like to congratulate and thank Martijn; it has been incredible four seasons together and we have built a strong partnership in the cock-pit. I hope this is the first of many for us”, Thierry commented after sealing the crown.
Wearing the HP10 Rally helmets, Neuville led the 2024 standings from the outset, claiming a superb victory at the opening the event, the Rallye Monte-Carlo. Since then, the Belgian ace made consistency his weapon, scoring points at every race, and scoring a second success at Acropolis Rally Greece. His total points score is 242, with 49 special stage wins.
At the eve of Rally Japan, Neuville had a 25-point margin over his only remaining challenger for the title, making a crucial recovery after some technical issues on Friday slowed his pace. Ultimately, Neuville completed the 2024 season by finishing sixth in Japan, including the second position in the Power Stage.
The HP10 Rally helmet is the most advanced model in Bell Racing’s rally range, with a full carbon shell for maximum lightness, and several other state-of-the-art details to ensure maximum protection and comfort for drivers and co-drivers.
During the 2024 season, Neuville used stunning one-off Art Helmets for racing in Monte-Carlo, Kenya, Chile and Japan, sporting unique liveries designed in collaboration with talented artists. This made the path to the world title even more special for us at Bell Racing.
“It has been an incredible journey with Bell Racing from the very beginning. Together, we developed their new helmet, and with it, we claimed the championship title. Throughout this season, they have also supporting us with the Art Helmet project, which wouldn’t have been possible without them. A heartfelt thank you to the entire Bell Racing team for their dedication and partnership. This title is also yours!”, told us Thierry, and we cannot be more proud.
