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- The longest day of the EKO Acropolis Rally lived up to its reputation as one of the most demanding in the World Rally Championship calendar.
- Feeling comfortable in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, Tanak recorded the fastest time in five of the six stages, leaving no room for doubt about his command of the rally.
- A collision with a rock in the 10th special stage was enough to damage the rear wheel of his Hyundai i20 N, dropping him to third place behind Sebastien Ogier.
The longest day of the EKO Acropolis Rally lived up to its reputation as one of the most demanding in the World Rally Championship calendar. Saturday’s six special stages (three repeated) proved brutal, requiring rhythm, clear thinking, and smart choices from all drivers.
Tanak dominates with masterful driving
Ott Tanak wasn’t satisfied with the lead he secured on Friday. The Estonian methodically defended his position and transformed it into clear dominance, gradually increasing his gap throughout the day. Feeling comfortable in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, Tanak recorded the fastest time in five of the six stages, leaving no room for doubt about his command of the rally.
For his teammate Adrien Fourmaux, who started the day in second place, things didn’t go as smoothly. A collision with a rock in the 10th special stage was enough to damage the rear wheel of his Hyundai i20 N, dropping him to third place behind Sebastien Ogier.
Toyota faces mixed fortunes
The eight-time World Champion Ogier, having used a significant number of soft compound tires yesterday, had to compromise with a mix of soft and hard tires today. This prevented him from matching Tanak’s pace. Nevertheless, he maintained second place overall, keeping Toyota’s hopes for victory alive.
The Japanese team simultaneously saw two of its four drivers retire during the second pass of the Pavliani stage. Kalle Rovanpera suffered transmission problems, while Takamoto Katsuta went off the road and couldn’t get his GR Yaris Rally1 back on track.
However, Elfyn Evans remains in the fight, sitting in 4th place with the goal of collecting valuable points for both the team and himself.
Other top contenders battle technical issues
One position behind Evans is Thierry Neuville, who experienced a flat tire again today. At least he managed to recover and gain positions in the overall standings. Tomorrow he’ll have the opportunity to compete for additional points in the Super Sunday and Power Stage.
Gregoire Munster completes the top six, despite the difficulties he faced throughout the day. The handbrake of his Ford Puma Rally1 didn’t work in any special stage, making it extremely difficult to navigate tight sections and causing him to lose significant time. His teammate Joshua McErlean faced exactly the same problem during the second pass of the stages.
WRC2 category climbs up the leaderboard
The significant number of retirements allowed WRC2 category cars to climb high in the overall standings. The category leader, Oliver Solberg, with his Toyota GR Yaris is in 7th place! The young Norwegian completely controls the competition, having a gap exceeding 1.5 minutes from second-placed Gus Greensmith (Skoda Fabia RS).
The Brit has his own battle with Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Toyota GR Yaris), with the difference between them being just 10 seconds. However, both should be concerned about Yohan Rossel (Citroen C3), who has reduced the gap and is now just 15 seconds behind the Polish driver.
Sunday’s decisive stages
While Sunday may be the final leg of the rally, no one can take the result for granted. The program includes two long repeated special stages, keeping the intensity alive until the end.
The brand-new “Smokovo” stage makes its debut, bringing the Acropolis Rally to Thessaly for the first time in thirty years. This 16.25-mile technical and demanding route received positive comments from the crews during reconnaissance.
The rally’s finale will begin at 2:15 PM at the legendary “Tarzan” stage – one that needs no introduction and, as often happens, may play a decisive role in determining the final outcome.
Current standings after Saturday:
- Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 2h56m31.7s
- Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +43.6s
- Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2m08.0s
- Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +3m04.4s
- Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +4m17.7s
With rocky terrain and punishing conditions still to come, the final day promises to deliver more rally drama in this iconic Greek event.
