The move from September to June (for the first time in WRC since 2013) has sharpened the Greek challenge
Photography by Toyota & M-Sport
Words by Luke Barry & Colin Clark
No World Rally Championship driver touched down in Greece expecting the Acropolis Rally to be easy. But having now seen the stages, they’re tipping it to be the toughest they’ve ever faced.
The Acropolis is back in its traditional June date for the first time since 2013 in the WRC, meaning this generation of drivers is facing a new challenge.
Of those that have done the rally in summer before, Elfyn Evans was in WRC Academy (Junior WRC) when he last did it, Ott Tänak was yet to claim a podium, Thierry Neuville scored just his second (of 71 so far) and Sébastien Ogier wasn’t a world champion at all, let alone an eight-time one.
The increased heat (temperatures are expected to exceed 40°C ambient) is an obvious element the crews need to battle with the rally running three months earlier, but that also has an effect on the road as Tänak explained.
“They [the stages] are obviously very dry,” he told DirtFish. “We know the last couple of years it’s been almost muddy and now it’s just very different. As it’s dry, it’s also more rough and obviously we can see a lot of dust, but I mean the big thing is still the roughness, the stones and basically I think it will be tough for the car and for the tires.
“Altogether for Greece, what are you ready for?” Tänak added. “There will be definitely all kinds of things thrown in and I guess you just need to manage them, you know, the way they’re coming.”
Derivatives of the word ‘lottery’ were used by several drivers in describing what they’re to face this weekend.
Sami Pajari said in Greece “the best feeling is always when you reach the finish”, while world champion Neuville added: “You cross all fingers you have and you try to get through without any trouble.”
Neuville also believes “everybody needs a bit of luck” avoiding punctures this weekend, given the roughness of the roads.
“I think that’s the main concern for most of us,” he explained. “But again, you can be driving carefully and puncture or whatever. You can attack like hell and puncture.
Rocks, rocks, rocks - the definition of the Acropolis
“We’re going to find the same rhythm as previous years – it has worked. We were not necessarily the fastest, but we were the fastest at the end of the rally. And it seems like it’s the approach we need to have for this weekend as well.
“Overall, it’s hot temperatures again. We have never experienced so high temperatures with those tires. So there will be a bit more learning again this weekend, but I think we can already build on what we have learned over the past events.”
Hyundai team-mate Adrien Fourmaux is a tad more concerned, given an issue he experienced after 25km of his pre-event test.
“To be fair on the test we had delamination, so yes, I’ve got a concern,” Fourmaux said. “That’s the main thing. Tire wear was OK, but just the delamination.
“Normally we use the tires more on the test than on the rally, so it should be better on the rally than on the test. But let’s see. We’re going to have to manage it, I think Saturday afternoon especially.
“I think my [test] road was quite abrasive, but you know it’s Greece, so at the end we can also manage it. There is a way to manage it, just to be a bit less aggressive on tires but it’s not easy when you’re fighting.”
Ogier’s synopsis was simple: “I think it’s definitely an event where, if you manage to not pick up puncture and stay out of trouble, I think you are definitely already on the podium.
“It’s a tough rally to win in this way, so you need to have more luck than on most of the rallies to win it.”
Nearly all the drivers (other than first on the road, Elfyn Evans) highlighted their concerns over hanging dust on shakedown.
Kalle Rovanperä told DirtFish: “I think the only people who will not have dust is Elfyn and Scott [Martin, co-driver], so for sure it’s going to be an issue.
“I think now it has been the driest ever and already shakedown, which is open area, we had dust this morning. Tomorrow will be a dusty issue, I’m 100% sure.”
Evans knows dust could play to his advantage with gaps to remain at three minutes on Friday due to the nature of the itinerary.
Could Evans actually find himself at an advantage?
“Maybe there’s a chance for a few less surprises in terms of loose rock being first, but ultimately, in terms of performance, it’s going to be probably a difficult one to compete with the guys at the back,” Evans admitted.
Some of the WRC’s younger drivers were not concerned by dust though – not because they felt it wouldn’t hamper their vision, but because it’s simply the same for the vast majority.
“I think if there is dust, it’s not really only us who is having the issue, so then it’s not so bad actually,” said Toyota’s Pajari.
“So anyway, we should have the advantage from the road position, which is quite normal on this kind of rally, and then the rest I think it’s more or less the same for everyone. So if there is dust, it’s a bit of a shame, but it’s the same for all of us.”
M-Sport’s Josh McErlean added: “You talk to the weather guy and he’s trying to predict where the hanging dust might be and maybe in stage two in sections where there is tree cover, but it’s something you have to deal with there and then, you can’t really, let’s say, think negatively towards it – you just deal with it.
McErlean will benefit from a good road position, but like many could face obscured vision by dust
“And still on shakedown this morning, the first pass, there was quite a lot of dust. Come second pass, there was hardly anything. So each stage and the type of gravel, it’s all different.”
Monitoring each driver’s approach will therefore be interesting, but most are aligned in their strategy. Before the helmet goes on at least…
“We discussed a bit during the recce with other drivers and said, ‘well, it’s really the rally’. Like I just told you, if you stay out of trouble, you’re definitely already on the podium,” Ogier concluded.
“But then stage one, put the helmet on, everyone is flat out. That’s the way it goes, you know? It’s just like simple racing drivers. Just when you put the helmet on, it’s very difficult to think like this again.
“But let’s see – I’m pretty confident that tomorrow morning you’ll see already a lot of people driving as fast as they can, so yeah. But still, of course, there is some sections where of course you need to clearly back off a little bit if you want to put most chances on your side.”
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: Acropolis Rally Greece, Acropolis Rally Greece 2025, WRC, WRC 2025
Publish Date June 26, 2025 DirtFish 
https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/06/LRAwlh7W-OGIER07GRE25tb151-780x520.jpg June 26, 2025
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