WRC Acropolis Rally 2025: Hyundai twice ahead after Friday

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Sweltering heat and extremely rough stages made for a true elimination race on Friday at the Acropolis Rally in Greece, the seventh round of the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC), with Ott Tänak leading a Hyundai one-two. The Estonian is 3.0 seconds ahead of teammate Adrien Fourmaux after six grueling gravel stages. Sebastien Ogier in the Toyota is third (+16.9 seconds).

The day turned out to be one of the toughest stages of the WRC season so far: temperatures in the cockpit climbed to as high as 70 degrees, while rutted tracks and sharp surfaces caused numerous tire damage in the Rally1 field.

Without a single best time, but with consistent pace and clever risk management, Tänak took the lead from Ogier in the afternoon. Although he lost time in the afternoon due to a tire that came off the rim, unlike many of his competitors, he was spared any major problems. The balance of his Hyundai i20 also bothered him throughout the day. "We had a clean day, that's the most important thing," said Tänak.

Fourmaux clever on the move - Ogier loses lead

Fourmaux was the only Rally 1 driver to make it through the day without a puncture. The Frenchman benefited from his starting position and a well-thought-out strategy. Three fastest times underlined his performance – and on the sixth stage, he overtook Ogier for second place.

Ogier, on the other hand, was initially the man of the morning. Despite an early starting position, he took the lead on the second special stage and held on, even though both he and Neuville suffered tire punctures. Ogier's defect occurred only 200 meters from the finish, while Neuville skipped a tire change and lost a whopping 39.5 seconds. "I gave my all today," Ogier summed up. "Given the conditions, we can be satisfied."

Evans, Rovanperä and Neuville struggle with damage

World Championship leader Elfyn Evans was hit hardest: As the first rider on the road, the Welshman had little grip, lost time on the fourth stage due to a puncture, and also complained of steering issues. Nevertheless, he fought his way up to fourth place (+1:21.5 minutes), while many of his competitors had even greater problems.

Kalle Rovanperä had a mixed start to the day. The Finn initially struggled to find balance in his GR Yaris before the chassis gave up: Steering damage cost him time. A tire puncture followed in the afternoon. The result: He dropped to seventh place.

Neuville himself described his Friday as a "disaster." First a tire puncture in the morning, then another on the fifth stage, caused him to fall far behind. Nevertheless, he finished the day with a fastest time and in eighth place.

Munster strong, Katsuta and Solberg in the top 10

Gregoire Munster impressed with fifth place in the M-Sport Ford, despite suffering two punctures on the fourth stage. Teammate Josh McErlean, on the other hand, lost over two minutes due to defects.

Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta continued solidly after an early puncture and is currently in sixth place. The best WRC2 driver is Oliver Solberg in ninth place – the Swede mastered Friday's demanding race without any mistakes.

Two Rally1 cars didn't make it to the finish line on Friday: Toyota youngster Sami Pajari was running in a strong fifth place when a technical defect forced him to retire. M-Sport driver Martins Sesks retired with a fuel system problem.

On Saturday, the Acropolis Rally will feature two loops of three special stages covering a total of 123.44 kilometers.