Preview: EKO Acropolis Rally Greece

Set against the punishing rocky tracks of the mountains north of Athens, and characterised by blistering in-car temperatures, the ‘Rally of Gods’ has been a WRC classic since its debut in the championship’s inaugural 1973 season. Over 50 years later, the Acropolis still commands respect as the season enters a crucial stage.

Hyundai Motorsport’s Thierry Neuville carries a 27-point lead over Toyota GAZOO Racing rival Sébastien Ogier, who is chasing down a record-equalling ninth WRC crown. Hot on their heels are Ott Tänak (Hyundai) and Elfyn Evans (Toyota), trailing Ogier by just four and nine points respectively.

Neuville has duelled with the Acropolis on five occasions, coming out on top in 2022. The Belgian has led this year’s championship since round one in Monte-Carlo and remains focused on securing what would be his maiden WRC title after finishing runner-up on five occasions.

“We are still leading the fight for the championship, so it is important to score as many points as possible without pushing too hard and risking the entire weekend,” he explained. “Our car is strong and we usually perform well in Greece, so hopefully we can do the same this year.”

Neuville and Tänak are joined in i20 N Rally1 cars by experienced Spaniard Dani Sordo, the trio with their sights also set on defending the squad’s 20-point lead in the manufacturers’ championship.

Takamoto Katsuta drives Toyota’s third GR Yaris Rally1 alongside Ogier and Evans, after the Japanese ace vowed to “calm down” following a crash last time out in Finland. Ogier, who retired from last year’s Acropolis with broken suspension, is under no illusions as to what faces him.

“Last year, we were leading until we were quite unlucky in some very rough conditions: it can be the kind of rally where you need some luck on your side to avoid trouble. Like always, the aim will be to try and fight for the top places and for as many points as we can.”

M-Sport Ford has traditionally revelled on the rough stuff, winning the Acropolis seven times in 10 editions between 2000 and 2009. Adrien Fourmaux, currently fifth in the championship after netting four podiums so far this year, spearheads the British team’s Puma Rally1 attack and is joined by Grégoire Munster plus Greek driver Jourdan Serderidis.

The rally kicks off on Thursday evening and boasts 15 challenging stages covering over 300km of competitive action before Sunday afternoon’s finish. Iconic WRC stages such as Tarzan and Aghii Theodori are included in the itinerary.