WRC Acropolis Rally 2025: Ott Tänak ends Hyundai's dry spell

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Ott Tänak mastered the extreme heat and unforgiving terrain of the Acropolis Rally Greece in Greece and delivered an impressive performance at the seventh round of the 2020 World Rally Championship (WRC) to claim Hyundai's first WRC victory since October 2024.

The Estonian prevailed in a thrilling duel against Sebastien Ogier in the Toyota, winning by 32.8 seconds. It was Hyundai's first victory in eight months and also the end of Toyota's winning streak: The Japanese had won all of the first six WRC races of the 2025 season.

With Adrien Fourmaux's second podium of the year (+3:09.8 minutes), Hyundai even achieved a one-two finish. For Tänak, it was his first win since returning to Hyundai and an important step in the fight for the World Championship.

Scorching heat, flat feet and material battles

The rally was characterized by extreme temperatures: Temperatures in the cockpits reached up to 70 degrees Celsius. The hot gravel, combined with the new Hankook tires for this season, caused a veritable tire massacre. Tänak was one of the few drivers to complete all 17 stages without major tire damage or technical issues.

Already at the opening round in Athens, Tänak was level with Ogier. On Friday afternoon , he was 6.1 seconds behind the Frenchman before taking the lead after the sixth special stage. Despite balance issues in the Hyundai i20 N , Tänak was able to maintain his lead .

Fourmaux drove strongly on Friday, winning three stages and even overtaking Ogier. But a slip on SS10 destroyed his right rear wheel and cost him over a minute – his dream of a first WRC victory was over.

Saturday will decide the duel between Tänak and Ogier

As in the last two rallies, Tänak and Ogier engaged in a thrilling duel. Tänak won five of Saturday's six stages and established a comfortable lead of 43.6 seconds.

On Sunday, Tänak had to go through the Power Stage with a gearbox problem. He still secured the win. Ogier, on the other hand, scored the maximum ten Super Sunday points with a strong time.

Elfyn Evans (Toyota) was the first to take to the track on Friday and had to contend with the worst conditions. He finished fourth without any major problems and retained the World Championship lead with a nine-point lead over Ogier. Tänak is only twelve points behind.

Thierry Neuville (Neuville), who had led after SS3, fell back due to two consecutive punctures. He ultimately finished fifth – despite further shock and engine failures on Sunday.

Gregoire Munster (M-Sport Ford) retired while running in sixth place due to a fuel issue. Sami Pajari and Martins Sesks also had to retire with similar problems. The FIA ​​is investigating the defects, which apparently affected all Rally 1 teams.

Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) had a rough weekend: two flat tires, a spin-out, and a drive shaft failure. He only scored four points from the Power Stage. A driving error cost Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) a top-five finish, while Josh McErlean (Ford) remained outside the points after a suspension failure.

Oliver Solberg survived all the stages without a flat tire and won the WRC2 classification convincingly - even finishing sixth overall.

At the halfway point of the 2025 WRC season, Evans continues to lead the Drivers' World Championship with 150 points. His closest rival remains Ogier (140 points), with Tänak just behind with 138 points. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Toyota maintained its lead with 358 points, ahead of Hyundai (293).

The 2025 World Rally Championship continues in three weeks. The Rally Estonia (July 17-20) is a fast gravel rally and the home race of Acropolis winner Tänak.