Thierry Neuville has defended the use of running order tactics by his Hyundai team after rival Sebastien Ogier slammed Hyundai boss Andrea Adamo.
Ogier accused Adamo of asking his drivers – Dani Sordo and Sebastien Loeb – to stop during stages of Rally Portugal in order to create a larger gap for Thierry Neuville, which would have been beneficial because of the huge amount of dust kicked up by cars ahead thanks to recent dry weather.
"Today we can be lucky or we can thank one man which is Dani Sordo, because there were some mean tactics that were supposed to happen.
"But luckily he [Sordo] refused. I got the information, not from any drivers – I have my sources – that this great gentleman that is Andrea Adamo asked him to stop in the stage and start in front of Kris [Meeke]. That was really mean."
Although Neuville didn't comment on Ogier's accusations directly, he did defend the use of running order tactics to offer an advantage, insisting the team did nothing wrong or outside of the rules.
"We didn't do anything forbidden," said the Belgian. "I don't know if it helped a lot, but at least it optimised the situation.
"We just tried to stay together as a team and fight as hard as we could for everything we could take and, in the end, we took the second position with four points in the powerstage and this a good effort.
"The efforts we have done have brought us the necessary bonus, that's all I can say."
Neuville finds himself just ten points adrift of championship leader Ogier, with Ott Tanak slotted between them in second, two points adrift of Ogier.
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