Category: Tin Top Racing

Time then for round eight of this year’s championship and we move away from the rough gravel of the recent rounds to the faster stages of Estonia. Ott and Martin come to this round in third, twelve points behind Elfyn and Scott in the championship standings after their measured drive last time out, to victory in Greece.

Of course, Kalle and Jonne will likely be the other crew who will be near the front of the timesheets. They took their first win at this rally a few years ago and have therefore great memories of this event. Third on the road will help their quest for another victory.

Finally, a word on Oliver and Elliot who will step into a top spec Yaris for this event. For this young crew this will be a case of learning this car. They’ve already had a test day, but that’s nothing like actually competing at a full event. It will be interesting to see how they get on.

Let’s take a look at the stages then and hear from the drivers.

Weekend at a Glance

• Competition gets underway on Thursday evening with the weekend’s first loop of Tartu vald (SS1/17, 1.76km)
• Seven stages are set to be run on Friday: two loops of Peipsiääre (SS2/4, 24.35km), Mustvee (SS3/5, 11.37km) and Kambja (SS6/7, 23.74km) are joined by one run of Elva linn (SS8, 1.72km)
• Saturday presents the longest day of the weekend, featuring four tests run twice, followed by the final run of Tartu vald, covering 125.76km
• Three stages finalise the weekend’s competitive action on Sunday: a solo Hellenurme (SS18, 11.79km) and two loops of Kääriku (SS19/20, 24.20km)

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“We’re looking forward to a very different character of rally for the next two events, with some very fast roads. Although Estonia wasn’t on the calendar last year, it’s an event we have pretty good knowledge of and a nice one to be going back to with the high-speed nature of the stages. It’s important to have a good feeling in the car and our test last week was good for working through some ideas, but we also know the conditions we’ll face on the rally can depend a lot on the weather; hopefully there can be a chance of some rain to help us out opening the road on Friday.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“It’s cool to be going back to Rally Estonia this year. It’s where I took my first win in the WRC and we’ve had some good success since then also, so I have good memories of this event. I really enjoy driving on the fast and flowing roads and they suit my style well, so I’m excited. The pace on gravel so far this year hasn’t quite been where I’ve wanted it to be, so we had an important test in Estonia last week to try and get fully up to speed and find the best setup for these faster rallies. The feeling was pretty good and I’m confident that we can do a good rally.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“The fast rallies coming up in Estonia and Finland are some of my favourites on the calendar and I’m looking forward to them. It can be challenging to adjust again to the much faster roads, and we also have to get used to driving with the new tyres on high-speed gravel for the first time, but the car felt good in our test, and I feel I’m ready to push. The Estonian stages can be tricky in places especially in the forests, where they are still very fast but also narrow, and this could make Friday the most challenging day. Still, I’m confident we can do a good job and will try to prepare as well as I can.”

Sami Pajari

“These next two rallies are very different to the ones we’ve just had, and maybe the most enjoyable ones on the calendar for me: the stages are high-speed and also quite flowing and in pretty good condition, so it can be more about driving fast than trying to avoid issues. In Estonia the surface is softer than Finland and the roads can get more rutted, so it’s not totally straightforward, but it’s been a nice rally for me in the support categories. Now we’re halfway through the season, it’s natural to try to increase the pace and these next rallies can be good for this, without planning to do anything crazy.”

Oliver Solberg

“It’s a fantastic opportunity and a dream come true for me to be able to do Rally Estonia in the GR YARIS Rally1. To test the car in Finland this week was already an incredible feeling. It’s been a great season so far and I feel ready for this and to learn and gain experience at the top level. Estonia’s one of my favourite rallies; it’s quite technical but also super-fast, so it won’t be easy. The goal is to build up step-by-step during the rally and get more and more comfortable in the car, finish the rally to gain as much experience as possible, and have loads of fun.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak

“We’ve just finished three rough rallies where we showed some strong performance. Now, we move on to a different challenge – Rally Estonia is the first of two really fast and smooth gravel rounds, which I personally enjoy because they are the type of roads I learnt to compete on. These events are purely performance based, meaning they ask a lot from the car – the gaps will be small, and speeds will be high. The setup needs to be very precise and balanced, and the aerodynamic package also plays a big role. We’ve had a busy last week preparing for the rally as we need to do our best in Estonia. This is a crucial point in the championship fight, we can’t let it slip away.”

Thierry Neuville

“It’s been a challenging start to the season, despite trying our hardest to avoid issues, but we had a good feeling in the car in Greece and need to capitalise on that. Rally Estonia is an event with a great atmosphere, and I have finished on the podium there a few times. We need to have total trust and confidence in the car because of the fast roads and big jumps, so suspension and grip are key parts of our setup. The weather can play a part in the speeds, but it’s been mostly dry so it’s not our biggest concern. It’s important we get a strong result here; we have everything in our hands and continue to work hard, we just need a bit more luck.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“To get a podium in our lead up to this year’s fast rallies is important for the team and great for my confidence, it’s given us the boost we need for Rally Estonia. With such high speeds at this round, we need a car with good balance and grip. Reactivity is super important, but there needs to be a balance between that and the grip on the surface. I’ve had a lot of experience there in the past in but it’s very unpredictable; the ground is softer than Finland, so if it rains it can get very rutted very quickly. Precision is essential to not get caught out here. We need to bring back some good points for the team, and our aim for the end of the weekend is to finish on the podium once again.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Grégoire Munster

“Rally Estonia has got to be one of the best rallies on the calendar when it comes to atmosphere and organisation. It’s always a pleasure to come back and drive these roads in front of so many passionate rally fans. Estonia also holds some nice memories for me as I won the Junior WRC event here two years ago. The stages are incredibly fast – a bit like Finland but not as compact – and we’re really looking forward to getting out there and tackling this year’s event.”

Josh McErlean

“Rally Estonia is a real benchmark for pace and commitment – fast roads, big jumps and no room for hesitation. It’s an incredible feeling driving these roads and one I’ve been looking forward to ever since stepping into the Puma Rally1. Every kilometre is a chance to grow, and I’m keen to keep pushing, learning and showing what we can do.”

Mārtiņš Sesks

“Rally Estonia will feel like a home event for us this year. For sure there will be lots of Latvian fans out spectating and lots of Latvian flags in the crowds which is always great to see. I’m really looking forward to having those home-crowed emotions again – it really is one of the most valuable things you can have. Of course, I’m also looking forward to the rally itself and to being back on fast gravel. Let’s see how it goes and hopefully we can find a good feeling in the car and have a really great weekend. We’re looking forward to it.”

Romet Jürgenson

“I feel like we have good momentum right now. Already in Sardinia we improved our speed quite a lot, and now coming into our home event in Estonia our knowledge and experience of the roads is a lot greater. Of course, this will be our first time competing here with the Rally2 car, but I still feel as though we can do a good job. We just need to focus on getting the set-up in a good window to get the maximum performance possible. For sure this is going to be a pure performance rally, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Summary

Well, we are set for a very fast rally indeed. With 308km’s over 20 stages it will be a big challenge for the crews. Who do you think will take victory?

The final day then and Ott brought a forty-three second lead over Seb to the final stages of which there was a total of 99km’s over the four remaining tests. Sami, Takamoto, Kalle and Martins all returned to the action with Sami and Marko opening the road. Greg and Louis would sadly not return to the action which was a huge shame and they’d driven a brilliant first two days to hold sixth overall.

First up was SS14 Smokovo 1 – 26.16 km a properly long stage for the final day and Ott picked up where he left off going 1.8 seconds faster than Seb and Thierry. Elfyn was just seven tenths behind with the fourth best time. Takamoto had a spin in the stage on a left hander which was going uphill. This stage featured two water splashes at around 11km’s and 21km’s.

Into the first run of what would be the power stage later, SS15 Tarzan 1 – 23.37 km and Ott again was fastest from Seb and this time Elfyn. Adrien who was eyeing up his and Alex’s first podium since Monte Carlo was taking things carefully setting the sixth best time.

After a service break came SS16 Smokovo 2 – 26.16 km and Seb was fastest from Ott and Adrien. The drama continued for Thierry whose car engine stopped in the stage. After a reset, the car did restart, and he finished the stage. The top positions remained unchanged and just one stage remained between Ott and Martin taking their first win of the year.

We came then to the final stage, SS17 Tarzan 2[Power Stage] – 23.37 km and Thierry set the early pace, before Kalle and Seb came through and set the fastest time. What of Ott though who was last to complete the stage. Well, the early splits showed that he and Martin was not far off the pace of Seb, but then the later splits showed they were losing time. They completed the stage and were sixteen seconds down on the best time with the fifth best time. They were suffering with a gearbox problem which caused the time loss. They were so concerned with the problem that they did not celebrate the win in the usual way and drove into the area beyond the time zone.

Nevertheless, they’d taken victory at last. It is a well-deserved victory for the crew, and unlikely to be the last this season.

Let’s take a look at the top positions and hear from the drivers.

Final Overall Classification – Acropolis Rally 

1	O. Tänak	M. Järveoja	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	4:12:20.1
2	S. Ogier	V. Landais	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+32.8
3	A. Fourmaux	A. Coria	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	+3:09.8
4	E. Evans	S. Martin	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+3:31.1
5	T. Neuville	M. Wydaeghe	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	+8:59.5
6	O. Solberg	E. Edmondson	Toyota GR Yaris	+10:34.7
7	G. Greensmith	J. Andersson	Škoda Fabia RS	+11:28.5
8	Y. Rossel	A. Dunand	Citroën C3	+11:43.7
9	K. Kajetanowicz	M. Szczepaniak	Toyota GR Yaris	+12:56.7
10	A. Cachón	B. Rozada	Toyota GR Yaris	+14:19.9

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak

“It was a great weekend, but it was also incredibly demanding. The temperatures and the length of the rally were massive obstacles, but we were very happy to put a winning package together, keep the tyres alive and demonstrate our performance. Since Saturday morning we were able to control the pace, I felt good in the car and it was working really well in these conditions. We avoided punctures all weekend by pushing in the sections with minimal risk and holding back in the rougher places, and that was the key. Overall, we are very happy to claim our first win at Acropolis in these conditions.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“This was one of the toughest Acropolis Rallies I’ve ever competed in. Temperatures were really high, and the ground was super abrasive with a lot of loose rocks. We saw a lot of punctures during the rally, but we managed to stay away with minimal tyre damage. I’m pleased to finish on the podium, we were fighting for second but after the issue we had yesterday that fight was over. Securing third was really important to us and we managed to do it, so I’m pleased with the weekend overall.”

Thierry Neuville

“I’m leaving Greece with a solid points haul, but it’s not the weekend I wanted. I had three punctures, and from then on we faced other issues with the car that didn’t help our final efforts today. All in all, we had lots of trouble, but we were able to fix the car for the Power Stage and finish that third fastest. I want to target a podium finish and some big points in Estonia; it’s not my favourite surface, but we’ve performed well there in the past, so let’s see.”

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sébastien Ogier

“It has been another really strong weekend for us. There was not much we could do about Ott’s pace, also considering the difference in start position, so well done to him on a well-deserved win. Taking 27 points is the maximum I think we could get out of this weekend, so we can be very happy. We have reached the mid-point of the season, and we are still strongly ahead in the manufacturers’ championship. Thanks to the team for pushing very hard all the time and let’s keep going like this in the second half of the season.”

Elfyn Evans

“It’s been a tough weekend with very difficult conditions, but we’ve managed to avoid trouble and finish fourth again – and we also got some Sunday points to top up the tally and soften the blow compared to our rivals. We definitely knew coming into these last three rough gravel rallies opening the road that it would be possible to lose our lead of the championship, so on that side I’m pleased. Now we move onto a different type of rally where we hope to show some more pace and performance.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“It was a tricky day restarting today. With our starting place we didn’t have much to play for but we had quite OK pace on the Power Stage and at least we could take four points from there, which was probably the maximum we could do. It hasn’t been the best weekend for me, not being on the pace and level where I should be. I know that there is room to improve, and we will work to come back stronger for Estonia.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“It was a pity that the Power Stage didn’t work out for us. We chose to focus on it and were pushing a lot, but not in a crazy way: looking at the split times we were fastest overall until we had to stop and change the tyre. It was a frustrating weekend, but we know that this rally can be very tough, and these things can happen; the important thing is to keep my head up and prepare for the next events in Estonia and Finland.”

Sami Pajari

“I had a nice feeling driving again today; thanks to the team for getting us back on the road. It was something really strange and unfamiliar for me to be first on the road and sweeping it clean, but it was also good experience. It’s safe to say it’s not been the weekend we were hoping for but the beginning on Friday was quite strong, so it is good to see the pace is getting there and I’m looking forward to the next events.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Josh McErlean

“I think it’s been a super demanding weekend for everyone, the team, the car, the crew. It’s nice to know you can get through these kinds of events – we hit a massive hurdle yesterday morning when we clipped the rock, but we managed to fix the car and keep it going.

“Today has been pretty ok, we’ve learnt a lot from a driving perspective and hopefully we can have a good test in Finland and prepare properly for the next two rallies.”

Mārtiņš Sesks

“Of course, I think we can find some positives from certain stages, our Power Stage performance wasn’t bad and some of the other stages too. On our first time here we’ve had to be quick learners, and I would say at some points we were quite good. On the points where we weren’t so good, it’s just about having knowledge for future years and at least now we know more about how to prepare for this rally. It needs more detailed preparation compared to other rallies and the experience we’ve gained this week will help that in the future.”

Grégoire Munster

“A disappointing end to our experience in Greece, but generally we had some positives to take away. Especially on Friday when there were good conditions, we pushed and managed to get a third-fastest time which shows the potential of the car.

“In other places we managed to be cautious, we had a long-term strategy and finished Friday in fifth and then sixth on Saturday evening, so there were a lot of positives from the weekend. It wasn’t meant to be, but we will come back stronger.”

 

Oliver Solberg

“It’s such a nice feeling,” smiled Oliver, shortly after celebrating with his fiancé, Chloe Chambers.

“This has been the absolutely perfect weekend. You hear so much about this event and you’re kind of a little bit scared for some of the stories – this is the Acropolis Rally, where anything can happen!

“Me and Elliott made a plan and we stuck with it, we pushed where it was safe and sensible, and we backed off to look after the tyres and the car where it was really bad. I’m really proud for this win, the way we managed the race and the tyres, and everything was really nice – it was a strategic win.

“I want to say a big thanks to the team. I know I say this every time, but it’s so true: Toyota and Printsport made the perfect car for the perfect rally and the same with Elliott. It’s fair to say this has been a hot one, with the temperature in the car so high at times, but he’s been so, so good with the notes and everything.

“I don’t know what else to say! I came here without so much experience, I didn’t feel I’d ever done the Acropolis properly and I wanted to put that right. We’ve done that. There wasn’t a single thing, it was a flawless rally.

“The icing on the cake has to be the championship lead again. Everything is feeling super-nice right now. Everything is working just like we want. I’m very happy!”

 

Summary

Well, what a win for the 2019 world champions. It’s really brought them back into the fight for the championship now just twelve points from the leaders. Next up is their home event as well.

 

It was a consistent drive from Seb and Vincent to the podium, giving Toyota some excellent points for the championship. They continue to hold second in the driver championship as well.

 

Finally, Adrien and Alex had a great drive and despite a slight error which damaged the suspension, they did well to score a second podium of the year.

2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings 
After round 7

1	E. Evans	150
2	S. Ogier	141
3	O. Tänak	138
4	K. Rovanperä	117
5	T. Neuville	96
6	T. Katsuta	63
7	A. Fourmaux	61
8	S. Pajari	32
9	O. Solberg	19
10	G. Munster	18

 

2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 7

1	Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team	358
2	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	293
3	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	97
4	Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 2	57

 

The second day then of this iconic rally and the crews had 123km’s over six stages to get through. Martins and Renaur returned to the action after their retirement with the technical problem yesterday. The Latvian crew in their Puma would open the road. Sami did not return to the action as the Yaris remained in the service park. This was because the car still had the problem which caused the retirement yesterday.

First up was SS8 Pavliani 1 – 24.58 km and Ott was fastest from Seb and Adrien as the top three overall continued to set the best times with their advantageous road position. There was some drama for Josh who damaged the suspension on the right rear of his Puma. Also in the wars was Thierry who had another puncture on the right rear.

Into SS9 Karoutes 1 – 19.48 km and Ott was fastest again from Adrien and Seb. Takamoto was finding some pace, going fourth fastest. Thierry came back well after his problem to set the sixth best time and moving ahead of Kalle and into seventh overall.

The final morning stage and the halfway point of the day, SS10 Inohori 1 – 17.66 km saw Seb take a stage win by just one tenth of a second from Ott and Thierry third fastest. Adrien broke his suspension on the rear after sliding into a rock on the edge of the road. The Frenchman dropped one position to third place. Gaining a position was Takamoto who passed Greg for fifth overall. The Puma driver was suffering with a technical problem as his handbrake had failed and this is a key part of the car, helping the driver turn the car on tight corners such as hairpins.

After the service break, SS11 Pavliani 2 – 24.58 km was next and Ott was back to the top, two and a half seconds faster than Seb and Thierry who really was on the kind of pace that would be expected from him. The pace took him up two positions to fifth place. There were two retirements in this stage though as first Kalle and then Takamoto went off the road. The Finn would return to the stage after some help from some spectators, but Takamoto’s car was completely beached. Kalle could not finish the stage though and stopped at the side of the road.

Next up was SS12 Karoutes 2 – 19.48 km and Ott again was fastest from Thierry and Seb. Ott’s lead was now almost forty-three seconds over Seb, with Adrien a further minute and fifteen seconds behind his fellow countryman. The Puma crews of Greg and Josh continued to have issues with their handbrakes but were doing what they could to complete the stages and the day. Greg remained in sixth overall.

Onto the final stage then, SS13 Inohori 2 – 17.66 km and once again Ott was fastest from Seb and Thierry. Elfyn was fourth fastest and maintained his fourth place overall, remaining a minute and thirteen seconds ahead of Thierry.

Let’s take a look at the top positions and hear from the drivers.

Classification after Day Two

1 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 N Rally1 2:56:31.7 2 S. Ogier V. Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +43.6 3 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +2:08.0 4 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +3:04.4 5 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +4:17.7 6 G. Munster L. Louka Ford Puma Rally1 +5:55.0 7 O. Solberg E. Edmondson Toyota GR Yaris +6:56.7 8 G. Greensmith J. Andersson Škoda Fabia RS +8:34.5 9 K. Kajetanowicz M. Szczepaniak Toyota GR Yaris +8:44.5 10 Y. Rossel A. Dunand Citroën C3 +8:59.6

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak

“We’ve generally had a very good day. Even in the afternoon, it’s true that some bedrock was threatening us sometimes, but generally it was smoother and more consistent – a bit better than expected. We had a good rhythm, and we maintained all day. While we are still in the lead, it’s important to remember that we haven’t scored any points yet and we still have some rough stages to go, including one that is new and very long, so this is always very demanding. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow to bring this home.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“This afternoon was just about surviving and avoiding any risk of puncture to maintain a good position for tomorrow. It was a challenge to manage the tyre wear, but I’m happy we managed it and saved a soft tyre for tomorrow. We had an issue on SS10, so we lost some time and one position, but after we fixed it we had no further time loss. We want to get some good points tomorrow but at the same time we don’t want to risk everything and throw away our hard work over two long days on Super Sunday.”

Thierry Neuville

“We were hoping for some rain this afternoon, hence why we went for the soft compound – in case there was any possibility for us to go for a good move and gain any more positions. We pushed a bit more today because we wanted to keep the pressure on Evans, and in case of any issues with him we wanted to be as close as possible. We have to look forward to see what’s possible tomorrow; it’s super rough in Tarzan, so both the first and second pass will be a big challenge for the cars and the tyres. We want to stay trouble free and have a good run.”

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sébastien Ogier

“It was a solid day for us, and we have to be happy to get through another challenging day in Greece. At least it was not as hot as yesterday, so it was a bit more enjoyable. The roughness was still there in places and managing the tyre wear was a big focus on the second pass this afternoon. Ott was flying today so there was not much we could do, and we realised this morning that road position was still playing a role. Tomorrow everything is still to play for; there are many kilometres to go, and very rough conditions expected on the second pass, but with Sunday points on offer, nobody can relax!”

Elfyn Evans

“The feeling in the car was better today with our position further back in the road order certainly helping us. We tried to keep a decent speed and rhythm while staying out of trouble and we managed to achieve that. We definitely have to give it a go tomorrow but also have to wait and see how the feeling is. It will be a rough and long day tomorrow, not a typical short Sunday, but those Sunday points are important, so we will have to try.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“Today started much better than yesterday. We changed a few things on the car overnight and felt more comfortable and confident. It felt even better in the afternoon after some changes during service and the split times were looking good in SS11. It wasn’t a crazy push, and everything felt under control, but under braking for one hairpin it was quite bumpy and rough and I couldn’t get the car stopped. Unfortunately, there was a gravel bank on the outside and we got stuck on top and could not get out. It was quite unlucky, but it was my mistake, and I’m sorry to the team.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“It’s not been an easy day. Already in the morning I was struggling quite a bit. Then in the first stage of the afternoon we went off in quite a rough braking, going a bit wide and getting stuck. After we got back on the road we saw that we had some damage on the car; I’m not sure if that’s why I couldn’t get the car slowed down, but it meant we couldn’t finish the stage. Tomorrow we just need to try and have a good day and get as many points as we can.”

 

Oliver Solberg

“Today has been about managing the rally a little bit,” said Oliver. “We know these stages are going to be very hard for the tyres, so we’re trying to make sure we look after them and the car as well. It’s so rough, especially on the second pass, and we just have to be very careful.

“We’ve had quite a lot of dust at times, this is not so nice. It’s hard to commit completely in these conditions.

“Now, it’s not so much about trying to be the fastest everywhere – sure it’s nice when you do this, but it’s about being as smart and as safe as possible. The gap we have at the front is nice, but this is Greece and we have seen for the last two days that anything can happen and I’m not sure there’s anything you could really call a safe margin on the Acropolis!

“For me and Elliott [Edmondson, co-driver] tomorrow is about bringing the car home. Staying in the middle of the road and staying out of trouble.”

 

Sunday

The final day beckons then and it’s a proper day as well with 99km’s over four stages. This event can bite, and will we see a final bit of drama for the crews?

Let’s wait and see.

The first full day of action on the Greek roads would see the crews tackle just over 120km’s in six stages. We had a leaderboard of sorts with Ott leading from Seb and Takamoto. The championship leader, Elfyn, was sixth. The day would not feature any full service at the service park, but there would be a remote service in the middle of the six stages.

First stage then of the day, SS2 Aghii Theodori 1 – 26.76 km and Seb was fastest from Sami and Thierry. Seb stayed in the lead from Thierry who jumped up three positions into second overall and Sami who gained six positions, moving into third overall. Martins had to stop his Puma in the stage to change a wheel, but Takamoto and Josh also had to stop to change as well after getting punctures.

It was all change at the top following SS3 Loutraki – 12.90 km. Adrien took the stage from Thierry and Ott. Seb fell from the lead to third whilst Thierry moved into the lead. Adrien gained four positions and moved into second overall. Meanwhile Elfyn continued to open the road and maintained seventh overall.

Before the remote service came SS4 Aghii Theodori 2 – 26.76 km and Seb set the pace just like earlier from Ott and Takamoto this time. Seb and Ott both gained positions with the Frenchman moving back into the lead from third overall, with Ott now second and Adrien dropping one position to third. The big loser was Thierry who fell from the lead to sixth place. The Belgian had a puncture but did not stop. It was a rough stage and even the top two had tyre trouble.

Then came the afternoon stages and the temperatures were really climbing out there. The first of three completely new stages, SS5 Thiva – 19.58 km saw Adrien set the pace from Ott and Seb. Kalle was fourth fastest and moved up into fourth overall. Thierry had another puncture and lost five positions falling to eleventh overall. Things were going well for Elfyn who’d kept out of trouble and was now in sixth place.

Onto the penultimate stage then, SS6 Stiri – 24.18 km and Adrien was again fastest from Ott and Greg. Ott took the lead and Adrien gained a position moving into second place with Seb falling to third. Also gaining a couple of positions was Elfyn who moved into fourth place. It was Kalle who lost time dropping four positions to eighth place. Also climbing the leaderboard was Greg who after his third fastest time was now up to fifth overall. Thierry gained one position, moving back into the top ten.

The final stage then, SS7 Elatia – 11.58 km and Thierry was back to stage winning pace with his teammates Ott and Adrien with the second and third fastest respectively. Thierry gained a couple of places moving inti eighth overall.

Let’s take a look at the top positions and hear from the drivers.

Classification after Day One

1 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 N Rally1 1:25:07.4 2 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +3.0 3 S. Ogier V. Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +16.9 4 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1:21.5 5 G. Munster L. Louka Ford Puma Rally1 +1:43.3 6 T. Katsuta A. Johnston Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +2:34.3 7 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +2:38.1 8 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +2:38.3 9 O. Solberg E. Edmondson Toyota GR Yaris +2:48.4 10 K. Kajetanowicz M. Szczepaniak Toyota GR Yaris +3:41.8

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak

“It’s been a very positive day all together. We could see that it was a super demanding day on many fronts, so at times it was difficult to keep it all in one piece, but we are happy that we didn’t have any troubles with the car or the tyres. It’s been really long: 15 hours in the car in 41 degrees means it’s been a difficult journey. Tomorrow will be a much slower day; very technical, twisty and narrow passes through the forests. Let’s see what it has in store, I’m sure it won’t get any easier.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“Today was really positive, but we need to get some time back from SS2 this morning when we were slowed down by Katsuta’s dust. It was a really good day for me, we were managing well on the rougher parts of the stages so we could push where it was clean, and this paid off. Generally, our road position was beneficial, but we still had the issue of some really rough areas that forced us to slow down, compromising us a bit throughout the day. Nevertheless, the handling of the car was great. When you start to push too hard in Greece, you get into trouble, so I will keep today’s approach for tomorrow.”

Thierry Neuville

“We didn’t expect to get two punctures in a row and lose that much time, so that was a huge frustration – it felt like we got hit by a big hammer twice. I really struggled to bounce back this afternoon; we didn’t have enough liquid in the car, and I was really not feeling well, so altogether a big struggle. It’s definitely a tough event, but I have never had this many punctures since the start of a season in my career. We need to have something more reliable – deciding results on tyres is not nice.”

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sébastien Ogier

“Overall, the day has been very positive; to be where we are from second on the road is better than we expected. The morning loop was especially good for us with the two stage wins in Aghii Theodori. Loutraki on the other hand was a proper taste of what was to come in the afternoon – on those stages the cleaning effect was much harder, and we lost some time. I am still pretty pleased with what we achieved and with the car, and with a better start position tomorrow we can be even more competitive.”

Elfyn Evans

“It was tough today. It was hot and we definitely suffered opening the road. It was a tough position to be in, especially with how the afternoon stages were, having to clean everyone. I am not particularly happy with how the day went and with how difficult it was to get a good feeling in the conditions that we faced. Fourth is a reasonable position to be in with several others having had trouble today, but there is still a long way to go, and we need to keep driving a clean rally.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“Unfortunately, we had to change a tyre early in the first stage this morning; we’re not sure what happened but the roads were rough and there was a very big step in the bedrock. But there can be many dramas on Acropolis, so I made an effort to avoid a similar issue later and also avoid any mistakes. By the end of the day, we recovered to sixth overall, which is good considering what happened this morning. It is still a long way to go, and anything can happen, so I will keep pushing enough while avoiding trouble.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“It’s been a demanding day on the cars, the tyres and the crews – it has been so hot. I wasn’t able to have the pace that I wanted in the morning which was quite annoying. Also, the roads were so rough that with many big hits to the car we picked up some damage and carried this for the rest of the day. On a rally like this you need some luck, and we didn’t have it today but tomorrow we can try again.”

Sami Pajari

“We had really tough and tricky conditions today. There are so many rocks and anything you hit can lead to trouble. I was pushing in some places but being clever in the tricky sections. It was going quite well in the morning; we were in the game, and I was really happy with the car and the driving. Unfortunately, after SS5 we found we had a technical issue and couldn’t go any further. It was a pity, but Acropolis is so rough that these things can happen, and hopefully we can restart tomorrow.”

 

Oliver Solberg

“It’s been quite warm at times,” grinned Oliver. “But OK, we are here, and we’ve been able to drive like we wanted through the day. The key to a rally like this is to try to drive neatly, keep the car as straight as possible and try to avoid the rocks.

“There are so many rocks out there, it’s impossible to miss them all. But I think we’ve done a good job with our Toyota GR Yaris today.

“I didn’t do this event last year, actually I only started it twice before and I haven’t finished either time. Elliott and me want to change that this year. It’s quite tricky at times because we haven’t competed on some of these stages before and when you have the dust hanging in the road it can be a bit complicated. I’m driving with a little bit spare, not going flat out – the risk is really high if you do that.

“Like I said, I want to finish, and I would love to win this rally in this beautiful country.”

Saturday

The second day will see the crews face 123km’s over six stages, with the afternoon stages being a full rerun of the morning stages.

Can Seb fight back into the lead, or will we see Ott continue to hold the lead at the end of the day. Perhaps Adrien could be in the top spot as well?

We shall find out at the end of tomorrow!

Time for the seventh round of the season and this is a big one for the championship! These roads which make some of the trickiest and roughest on the calendar. Elfyn and Scott will be opening the road throughout Friday’s stages of which is a total of 123km’s of competitive over six stages.

Here’s a full view of the stages this weekend.

Weekend at a Glance

• Thursday evening marks the start of the competitive action in Athens with EKO Athens (SS1, 1.50km)
• Friday’s marathon includes seven stages: two loops of Aghii Theodori (SS2/4, 26.76km) and single passes through Loutraki (SS3, 12.90km), Thiva (SS5, 19.58km), Stiri (SS6, 24.18km) and Elatia (SS7, 11.58km)
• Saturday sees six stages form its itinerary: two runs of Pavliani (SS8/11, 24.58km), Karoutes (SS9/12, 19.48km) and Inohori (SS10/13, 17.66km)
• Sunday’s finale is comprised of four stages: Smokovo (SS14/16, 26.16km) debuts in Thessaly, while the classic Tarzan (SS15/17, 23.37km) runs twice, with the second loop as the Power Stage.

 

Let’s hear from the drivers.

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“The Acropolis is another of the tougher gravel rallies on the calendar with a hard and rocky base and a lot of loose rocks. We’re going there at a different time of year to usual, so it has the potential to be very hot and demanding for the cars and the tyres. We also know we will face the familiar challenges opening the road on the Friday, when there are a lot of stages run only once. Our performance was stronger in Sardinia and we’re hoping we’ve made some further improvements in testing and can be more competitive again in Greece.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“In Sardinia we were able to find some good pace and score quite a lot of points in the end, and hopefully we can continue like this for Greece. It’s a rally that has been quite good for us in the past and we’ll try to fight for another strong result. The style of the stages and the surface are a bit different to Sardinia, and it can be harder for the tyres if you’re pushing hard. But we had a chance to test in Greece last week to try and work on this and keep improving the car for these conditions, and this should help us to be prepared.”

Sébastien Ogier

“Sardinia was a very positive weekend for us and I was back in the car two days later to test for Greece and to try and confirm the good progress we made with the setup. The challenges in Greece are not so different, with high temperatures and a rough and rocky surface, and hopefully we can be strong once more in these conditions. It could again be a challenging Friday for the team with our road positions, and this time I’ll be running second so it might be even harder to win this one, but I’m never afraid of any challenge so let’s see what we can do.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“I’m looking forward to going back to Greece. Last year I had good speed there and this time I’m aiming for a better result. Sardinia was a difficult rally but by the end we had good speed, and we were able to find an even better feeling in the car during our pre-event test in Greece last week. The Acropolis is never an easy rally because you need to be able to take care of the car and the tyres, and there will be some new stages again this year. But having confidence in the car always makes it easier to start and I will give my best.”

Sami Pajari

“It’s really helpful for me to have these gravel rallies back-to-back to build up the experience and confidence. In Portugal we could have a nice clean rally, and then in Sardinia the pace was coming more naturally, so hopefully we can continue like this for Greece. Like with Sardinia, I have some good memories of winning WRC2 there last year. At the same time, on rough rallies like these you need to be very careful in the lower categories to look after the car, whereas the Rally1 car can handle a lot more, so you need to learn to trust it and get used to being able to push harder.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak

“Greece is the final in a row of three rough rallies in a row after Portugal and Sardinia, yet it is very different in comparison. Greece has wider roads, but they’re quite solid. It’s not been super rough in the past couple of years – some stages for sure, but it’s still historically a very demanding rally. This year, with the event moving to June, the heat plays a big part on both us as crews and on the car.”

Thierry Neuville

“Last year in Greece, we secured our second 1-2-3 finish for Hyundai Motorsport – it was a stunning weekend. This year, we know we have a good car. The pace in Sardinia was there but we were really unlucky all weekend. It was frustrating for us not to transform that speed into a podium or a win. We will give it our all in Greece; it will be tough with the heat, and we need to make sure we stay out of trouble. It’s rough on the car and the tyres, so we need to manage those elements. My goal is to outscore my opponents, but I would like to build some momentum and return to the podium.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“Sardinia taught us what we need to improve on the car for Acropolis Rally, and considering our road position, we need to do everything we can to optimise it. It’s one of the roughest events of the season, and the risk of punctures is really high, so reliability is our biggest priority. Tyre choice can be very difficult, and combined with the abrasive stages, it can be really gruelling. It’s similar to the last round, but it will be even hotter, which is tough for both us and the car. The event itself is great, the atmosphere and fans make it one of the best. We need to be back on form here, we will do everything we can to have a solid weekend.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Grégoire Munster

“Of course, we are looking to do better than in Sardinia. Although we aren’t testing in Greece, we used Saturday in Sardinia to get some ideas, and with those ideas we will start the rally in Greece and I’m quite confident we will do well with the package we have. We have done a lot of preparation with the engineers and so I feel well-equipped for this next challenge.

Like Sardinia, the event will be a long and hot one, and there will definitely be opportunity to bring home a good result and we will aim to score some good points next week.”

Josh McErlean

“Heading into the Acropolis Rally, the focus is on a clean and consistent performance. It’s no secret this event is one of the demanding ones on the calendar – the heat, the rough stages. After the disappointment in Sardinia, I really want to deliver a solid result for the team. They’ve worked incredibly hard, and they deserve something to show for it. Our aim is to stay out of trouble, manage the conditions smartly, and hopefully come away with a strong, trouble-free rally.”

Mārtiņš Sesks

“This will be my first time ever visiting Greece, so really we have no idea of what awaits us there. I remember watching the rally during my childhood, hearing the name Acropolis Rally and knowing that means something demanding and rough! It will be interesting to experience that, and we hope for a good weekend there. There will certainly be some steep learning curves, but we will come out stronger at the end.”

Jourdan Serderidis

“Acropolis is the most highly anticipated and important event of our season. We have been preparing our program with the objective to get a Top-10 in Lamia (even though we already got a Top-8 in Kenya!). To reach this goal, we need to improve again our pace compared to Sardinia and continue to also improve the setup of the car with the Hankook tyres.

“We still have a PET on Saturday to prepare. We are super excited to meet again the Greek fans who can also give us an additional boost which can make a real difference. We will also be fighting for the 1st Greek Cup, so we have plenty of challenges here!”

 

Oliver Solberg

“Everything feels good. We worked well with the car in Sardinia, we found a set-up which we think was taking the best from the tyres and now we’re looking to fine-tune that a little bit for Greece.

“Sardinia and Acropolis are quite similar in the fact they’re both hot and rough events, but the surface can be a little bit different here in Greece. It’s all about those really fine margins and making sure we have the car absolutely dialled.

“Like I said, our test was good – how can you not be smiling when you have a car like this Toyota to drive on a fantastic road with the sun shining and not a cloud coming in the sky. This is the summertime now and, like you know, Swedish people, we like to celebrate the middle of summer. Taking a win this week would be a good way to do that.”

That baking hot summer will take its toll on both the crew and the car, however; mid-stage temperatures in the cockpit of the GR Yaris Rally are likely to rise north of 60 degrees.

“Definitely this is one of the hotter ones. These are the ones you work hard in the gym and the sauna all winter for. Being physically fit is crucial here – when the heat is coming you get tired faster and that’s where the mistakes can come.”

 

Summary

Well, what an epic event the crews and teams are facing. The road position for those further back in the championship will be the key for those who want to stand on the podium on Sunday. Could Hyundai finally take victory this weekend? All three crews have shown pace yet have made mistakes and had issues with the car as well.

 

M-Sport have had a couple of tricky rallies with crashes and the team will want to make the finish without any problems. It will be interesting to see what their strategy will be.

 

At Toyota with five cars entered, they will look to Seb and Kalle to keep the Hyundai’s at bay and limit the points their championship rivals can score and hope that Elfyn can maintain a decent lead in the championship.

 

Enjoy!

 

Into the final day then of this very tricky rally which despite its rocky and dusty road often has some very close finishes. Adrien and Alex returned to the action as the Hyundai team were able to sort the damage out after their incident yesterday.

First up then was SS13 San Giacomo – Plebi 1 – 25.19 km and Seb was fastest from Ott and Kalle. The top three overall were making the most of the cleaning road which was opened by Adrien. The stage winning pace from Seb meant he increased his lead over Ott by four and a half seconds.

Into the second stage of the day, SS14 Porto San Paolo 1 – 13.70 km which would be the later power stage and Kalle was fastest from Seb and Ott. Takamoto gained two positions and moved into fifth position. This was after their teammate Sami slowed in the stage losing almost a whole minute to the stage winner.

Time for the penultimate stage then, SS15 San Giacomo – Plebi 2 – 25.19 km and Ott was fastest by two and a half seconds from Seb with Kalle third. There were a few leaderboard changes further back as Sami moved back into seventh place, but incredibly Oliver Solberg was actually one place ahead in sixth place, despite driving a Rally2 Yaris.

After a short service break we came to the final stage, SS16 Porto San Paolo 2[Power Stage] – 13.70 km and Thierry set the early pace before the Kalle came through to win the stage by eight or so seconds and Ott was third fastest whilst Takamoto and Elfyn rounded out the final points paying positions in the powerstage. There was some drama for Seb as he lost the rear of his Yaris and nudged a tree at the highest point of the stage. His winning margin in the end was a little under eight seconds.

Let’s take a look at the top ten and hear from the drivers.

Final Overall Classification – Rally Italia Sardegna

1	S. Ogier	V. Landais	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	3:34:24.5
2	O. Tänak	M. Järveoja	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	+7.9
3	K. Rovanperä	J. Halttunen	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+50.5
4	E. Evans	S. Martin	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+5:05.7
5	T. Katsuta	A. Johnston	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+7:29.6
6	O. Solberg	E. Edmondson	Toyota GR Yaris	+8:32.9
7	S. Pajari	M. Salminen	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	+10:29.0
8	N. Gryazin	K. Aleksandrov	Škoda Fabia RS	+10:58.7
9	R. Daprà	L. Guglielmetti	Škoda Fabia RS	+12:15.3
10	K. Kajetanowicz	M. Szczepaniak	Toyota GR Yaris	+12:21.1

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sébastien Ogier

“I’m very happy to secure this win. It was a close fight until the end with Ott and this morning I had the opportunity to build a bit of a margin. Therefore, in the Power Stage I was not pushing for the full points, but we still had to fight with the ruts, and I got caught in a tight corner and preferred to stop and reverse the car. It wasn’t ideal and cost us some Sunday points, but we had enough in hand to achieve our main target which was to win. It’s a very satisfying win for myself and the team, which did a great job after Portugal to improve the car setup and the speed even without a test; the car was enjoyable to drive, and the times were coming more easily.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“I think we can be happy with our weekend. We had a lot of cleaning on Friday and after that we managed it the best we can with a clean and clever drive and maximum points from Sunday. I did everything I could in the Power Stage, and I was surprised by the time gap because it didn’t feel great in such a narrow and slow stage, but I’m happy with the points. In terms of the pace this is probably the best weekend I’ve done in Sardinia, so thanks to the team for the good car.”

Elfyn Evans

“Overall, we have to be satisfied with how our weekend has turned out. Fourth was realistically as much as we could expect starting first on the road on Friday. This is always a rally full of attrition and getting to the end without big issues was vital. The pace of the top three was pretty hot but the positive thing is that we did make clear progress through the rally in terms of feeling, especially in second-pass conditions, so that gives us some positives to take forward to Greece.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“It’s been a very tough weekend as we expect here, but still, we could finish fifth overall which is not so bad. We had some difficulties during the weekend with the roll and some other things, but this can happen in a rally like this and at the end I felt quite confident with the car. I tried to push in the Power Stage but just made a mistake at the end and got stuck in the very soft and loose surface. So it’s some mixed feelings but I think we are heading in a good direction looking forward to Greece.”

Sami Pajari

“It was a tricky final day for us. The plan was just to get to the finish with a good feeling, but we hit something on the first stage of the day and broke something small in the suspension. We managed to fix it on the road section so that we could continue driving, and then the most important thing was to get to the finish and bring the points back. Up until today I think it was a positive weekend for us. The speed was better and coming more naturally and this is something good to take to Greece.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak

“We didn’t come into today feeling comfortable to push the limits, as we were struggling to find a good rhythm and balance in the car, but we did our absolute maximum. It has been a very demanding rally, and it’s frustrating to finish second to Seb again. He has been strong this weekend, and at the moment we just don’t have the full package to beat the Toyotas. It was extremely punishing on the stages, and we knew we had to push for as many points as possible but also be very clean and neat, which was a challenge.”

Thierry Neuville

“Overall, I am disappointed in the weekend – I feel we had a lot of back luck on Friday. I still don’t know what went wrong, as I somehow lost control of the car on a flat corner and took off the whole rear. From that point on, there was only today where we could salvage something. Considering our road order, taking five points is not too bad. We will turn the corner soon, the team deserves it; everyone is pushing so hard and I know it will happen. Greece will be tough, it’s very rough and easy to damage the car, but we were able to win from first on the road last year, so starting fifth should be even better for us.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“Sardinia was another rally where we were fighting at the top in the beginning, but then something happened that stopped that. I was pleased with my pace on the new stages today, so there are some positives to take from the weekend, and I am determined to turn the negatives into positives by learning from them. There’s things we can definitely improve. The target was a clean rally, which unfortunately didn’t happen, so I will do everything I can to have one in Greece.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Grégoire Munster

“A disappointing weekend for the team with what happened on stage two, but the boys and girls did a good job to get us back on the road. It was quite important to get back out there, because Greece is quickly coming up, so we got some good mileage where we could try things out, collect some data and we’re looking forward to having a better event in Greece.”

Josh McErlean

“A lot of good learning this weekend, and hopefully someday we can use this experience driving first on the road on the first day of a rally! But honestly, a big thanks to the whole team, even in the last service they had a big job to fit a front-left damper in seven minutes! So, a big kudos to them and hopefully we’ve gained some good learning for Greece. It definitely shows us you need to have a good Friday in WRC!”

Jourdan Serderidis

“We end the rally 25th overall, which is better than expected, because looking through the entry list I thought the Top-30 would be the aim. So, we finished 25th, even though we had the roll-on Friday, we lost about three minutes there. For M-Sport it’s not been the best rally so far, with the three cars crashing out on Friday. But thanks to the mechanics, we repaired the cars so we could continue on Saturday and Sunday.”

“Another good point is that we’ve made some developments for the next rally in Greece, and I’m looking forward to a good weekend there soon.”

Romet Jürgenson – WRC2

“In general, it’s been a very positive weekend, the speed is clearly better than in Portugal. That’s what I hoped for, already to be faster on Friday and we were quite consistent as well. Unfortunately, we had the power steering issue which dropped us back, but now we have fought our way back to sixth.”

Oliver Solberg

“Maybe I should have nominated this rally for WRC2 points after all. I’d only been here twice before and without so much experience, I thought it was sensible not to take the points and to focus on learning more about this event.

Before the event, that was sensible. Now, it feels like a bit of a shame. It doesn’t matter. The aim is to win whether we are taking the points or not.

We had a small kiss with the wall on Friday, but after that everything has gone really well. Elliott and the whole team has been amazing and the same with the car.

It was a great weekend. The roads were really tough, but it was a very interesting lesson in working with these new Hankook tyres and making a good strategy to get through the event with the mixture of the hard and soft compound. This has been a hard rally. The temperatures have been high, the car and me and Elliott in the car have worked hard – but it’s been a lot of fun.

Italy has a big passion for rallying, and I think everybody knows we like to go to the place with the big passion for the sport. My dad won here 21 years ago, the first time the WRC came to Sardinia, so it’s nice to take this result.”

 

2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 6

1	E. Evans	133
2	S. Ogier	114
3	K. Rovanperä	113
4	O. Tänak	108
5	T. Neuville	83
6	T. Katsuta	63
7	A. Fourmaux	44
8	S. Pajari	31
9	G. Munster	18
10	J. McErlean	12

 

2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 6

1	Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team	312
2	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	243
3	M-Sport Ford World Rally Team	87
4	Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 2	48

Summary

What an incredible drive from Seb and Vincent this weekend. Showing their remarkable partnership, they have taken a second win in a row and third of the year. The speculation that they will do a full season will continue. Whether they do is another matter.

For Ott and Martin, a third podium of the year has taken them to fourth in the championship and a good twenty-five points ahead of their reigning champion teammates.

Kalle and Jonne took a good podium with third place. They we’re really on the pace early on Friday and were even at some points slower than Elfyn and Scott. They turned it around with some changes to their car set-up giving them the ability to push harder and this took them ahead of their teammate and championship leaders. They are now within twenty-points behind Elfyn and Scott and third in the championship standings.

Next up is the Acropolis Rally held over the final weekend of June from the 26^th to 29^th.