Sébastien Ogier, world rally champion, has started off on the right foot at the WRC Acropolis Rally Greece, after winning the first super special stage on Thursday night. This competition, known for its challenging gravel stages, kicked off with an exciting duel in the heart of Athens.
The first trial of the race was held in the form of a super special stage featuring two cars, where Ogier faced the 2024 world champion, Thierry Neuville, and managed to beat him by just 1.1 seconds. With this victory, the Frenchman set the pace for the rest of the rally.
Ogier’s teammate, Takamoto Katsuta, almost matched his time, although he ultimately finished with a time one second slower than Ogier’s, defeating championship leader Elfyn Evans in his run.
Ogier reflected on his start: “The real start is tomorrow. It’s a pleasure to be here in Greece, such a historic rally. We know a complicated challenge awaits us. Luck will play an important role, but we feel prepared.”
Neuville, despite his defeat against Ogier, ended up in third position at the front of the rally, benefiting from starting seventh on the stages the next day. “It’s fantastic to begin another gravel rally and have good feelings with the car, but we can’t be overly optimistic, as this is a long rally and many things can happen,” commented the Hyundai driver.
After the super special, Ogier’s teammates, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari, recorded identical times, finishing 1.2 seconds off the lead. Evans, one of the favorites, placed sixth in the overall standings, preparing for the tough stages on Friday.
The competition day promises to be intense, with five of the six trials on Saturday set as single passage stages. Evans warned that finding the balance between speed and taking care of the car will be crucial in facing the challenges posed by the rally.
In the standings, Adrien Fourmaux from Hyundai qualified seventh, followed by Dani Sordo, Jon Armstrong, and Yohan Rossel, the best competitor in WRC2. With an intense and competitive start, the WRC Acropolis Rally Greece promises intensity and excitement throughout the weekend.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
