[Video] When Corona saved the day in the WRC | GRR
A cool beer at the end of a road trip – it’s customary, right? But usually the beer is for human consumption, not car…
That wasn’t the case for Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul back at the third round of the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship, when a pierced radiator led to a distinct lack of coolant and an overheating engine. Luckily the pair had already finished the final stage of the Rally Guanajuato Mexico, securing Hyundai’s first WRC podium that year, but they still had to get back to the service area.
With no coolant to hand and 29km left to travel, the duo looked frantically for an alternative, and in true Belgian spirit found something suitable.
A large bottle of the national beer – Corona, no less – which had been presented to the winning duo at the end of the stage was poured carefully into the radiator, allowing Neuville and Gilsoul to re-join the road.
After stopping a couple of times for a top up, they made it back to the service station and were given a hero’s welcome.
At the time, Neuville said: “I really tried to stay calm and say to myself we were okay, but when we had more than 25km to go I thought okay, maybe this could be the end. But after we stopped again the temperature came down and then I thought it would be okay.”
Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: This BMW Z4 GT3’s downshifts are louder than thunder