Nicolas Gilsoul (born 5 February 1982) is a Belgian rally co-driver. He is the former co-driver for Thierry Neuville and the current co-driver for Pierre-Louis Loubet.[2]
 Nicolas Gilsoul, 2013 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Born | 5 February 1982 Chênée, Belgium[1] |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 2007–2008, 2012–2020, 2022 |
| Teams | Citroën Junior, Qatar, Hyundai |
| Rallies | 114 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 13 |
| Podiums | 43 |
| Stage wins | 244 |
| First rally | 2007 Monte Carlo Rally |
| First win | 2014 Rallye Deutschland |
| Last win | 2020 Monte Carlo Rally |
| Last rally | 2022 Ypres Rally |
Career
editAfter competing in regional events from 2000, Gilsoul made his international debut in 2003 when co-driving with Bruno Thiry. He made his debut in the World Rally Championship in 2007.
Gilsoul started working with Thierry Neuville in 2011 and competed in the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. In 2012, Gilsoul co-drove for Neuville in the World Rally Championship.[2] The pair went on to drive for the Qatar World Rally Team in 2013 and they were a surprise runners-up in the championship after seven podiums from 13 events.[3] Gilsoul and Neuville made the switch to the newly created rally team Hyundai Motorsport in 2014.[3] He won his first rally in the WRC that year, winning the 2014 Rallye Deutschland, famously after rolling their World Rally Car at the pre-event shakedown.[4]
Gilsoul continued co-driving for Neuville in Hyundai Motorsport and went on to win a further twelve events together.[5] They were runners-up in the championship between 2016 and 2019.[5]
In 2021, right before the season start in the 2021 Monte Carlo Rally, it was announced that Neuville and Gilsoul had stopped their co-operation. Gilsoul was eventually replaced by Martijn Wydaeghe as Neuville's co-driver.[6]
Gilsoul made a return to the co-driving seat in April that year, now for French privateer Paul-Antoine Santoni at the Italian Rally championship round in Rallye Sanremo.[7]
In 2023, Gilsoul returned to the World Rally Championship co-driving for Pierre-Louis Loubet for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team.[8]
WRC victories
editCareer results
editWRC results
edit* Season still in progress.
References
edit- ^ "Nicolas Gilsoul". motorsport.hyundai.com. Hyundai Motorsport. 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- ^ a b [1], wrc.com; accessed 30 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Emotional Neuville thankful to M-Sport before Hyundai switch". autosport.com. Autosport. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "Rally Germany: Thierry Neuville, Hyundai take maiden WRC win". Autosport.com. Autosport. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Nicolas Gilsoul". ewrc-results.com. eWRC-Results. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "Neuville splits with long-term co-driver Gilsoul ahead of 2021 WRC campaign". Autosport.com. Autosport. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "Nicolas Gilsoul is Back in the Co-Driver Seat at Sanremo". thecheckeredflag.co.uk. thecheckeredflag.co.uk. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ Berry, Luke (12 December 2022). "Gilsoul to partner Loubet in WRC next year". dirtfish.com. DirtFish, LLC. Retrieved 12 February 2023.