Greece (WRC) - 8-11 Sep 22

JUNIOR WRC TITLE SHOWDOWN IN GREECE

Posted: September 7, 2022 4:32 AM

The 2022 FIA Junior WRC Championship fight is set to go down to the wire on the rough and rocky Acropolis Rally Greece.

Four drivers in contention to win the biggest prize package in rallying with four fully funded WRC2 prize drives including a pre-event test for each rally in a Fiesta Rally2 with M-Sport in 2023.

This year’s champion will add their name to the history books joining the likes of Sebastien Loeb, Sebastien Ogier, Dani Sordo, Elfyn Evans and Craig Breen.

Sami Pajari is bidding to become the Junior WRC’s only champion to successfully defend their crown and also the second two-time Junior WRC Champion in the history of the sport. Jon Armstrong would become the first champion from the United Kingdom for a decade since Elfyn Evan’s title success in 2012. Should Robert Virves be crowned champion, it would be a landmark moment for Estonia, becoming the country’s first Junior WRC champion, a feat Urmo Aava came heartbreakingly close to in 2006 and 2007.

Thanks to double classification points and Wolf Stage Win Points on the final round of the season, a total of 66 championship points are up for grabs leaving the title fight wide open. Each crew entered on Rally Greece can also drop their worst score of the season and, after discounting their worst scores, every driver has a mathematical chance of winning the championship.

Junior WRC is poised for a mouth-watering battle for the 2022 title; Pajari and Armstrong head to Greece tied on points as joint leaders with Virves trailing them by a single point. The championship landscape changes when each contenders’ worst classification scores are discounted. Armstrong drops 12 points to 73, putting him third as Virves only drops eight points, promoting him to second on 76 points. Pajari stays on top with 85 points, not dropping any points thanks to his lowest score being a DNF in Croatia. Croatia rally winner, Lauri Joona, is also in a strong position to contend for the championship thanks to double classification points. He sits fourth with 67 points but given the points difference between first and second in Greece is 14, winning the championship becomes a realistic objective for Joona.

The rally itself will offer many challenges and obstacles, the biggest of which will be surviving the first full day on Friday which only has a tyre fitting zone between the two loops of stages. Temperatures are set to also test each Junior WRC crews' fitness and concentration levels as the ambient air temperature is expected to exceed 30 degrees.

The temperatures will also have an effect on each crews’ tyre choice. Pirelli brings 22 Scorpion K4 (hard) tyres and 12 Scorpion K6 (soft) tyres for each crew to choose from but they are limited to choosing a maximum of 26 tyres for the rally including shakedown. Should conditions stay dry and hot, the hard tyre will be the tyre of choice, meaning soft tyres will be deployed strategically.

Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager:

“There is always a great sense of opportunity and excitement whenever we head into the final round of a championship. The double classification points, dropped scores and Wolf Stage Win points mean that it’s still completely wide open and everybody has a mathematical chance of winning the championship. In reality, the top-four are the real contenders and it’s impossible to say who is a favourite. It’s going to be a nail-biting thriller and it will be at the forefront of each drivers’ mind at the start line of every stage this weekend, the pressure is going to be immense.

“I am sure each crew will have their own individual strategy too, and the strategy will start immediately with a super special opening the rally inside the Olympic Stadium in Athens on Thursday. Thursday’s tyre selection carries over to the first loop on Friday, which will require a hard selection of tyres so a compromise will need to be found.”

58 Sami Pajari / Enni Malkonen
“The temperatures will be very high during the rally so I think it will be tough for the car and drivers. The competition is really high and there are four guys who have a very good chance at winning so who knows what will happen.”

59 Jon Armstrong / Brian Hoy
“It’s probably going to be a little about looking after the car, the tyres, trying to find a good rhythm and push where we can. We just want to enjoy it, make the most of the opportunity and hopefully we will get a good result in the end.”

60 Robert Virves / Julia Thulin
“What we need to do to succeed is hard to say but it’s not going to be easy. A lot of guys can win this championship and there are a lot of challenges in this rally to attack. I think first we need to have a good rally before thinking about our chances for the championship.”

61 Lauri Joona / Mikael Korhonen
“On a rally like this you really need to look after your car while still finding the areas where you can drive as fast as you can, but overall it is a very rough rally that needs a clever strategy. The championship fight is going to be very hard, there are a lot of fast guys, I think Sami is the one everybody is targeting but it is too close. I think one of my biggest strengths is consistency though and looking after the car which are very important here.”

62 William Creighton / Liam Regan
“It’s my first time here in Greece and my first time doing the rally so it’s going to be pretty tough. The stages are very rough and the temperatures are going to be high all weekend, we need to try and be smart but it will be nice to finish the season on a high.”

63 McRae Kimathi / Mwangi Kioni
“Really looking forward to it, it’s one of those classic rallies. It will be very rough I am sure so it’s going to be hard on the car and tyres. The heat will also make it quite interesting as well.”

Greece offers gruelling test for Creighton in Junior WRC finale’

Posted: September 6, 2022 3:59 PM

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver William Creighton will round out his season in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship next weekend, as he tackles the final round of the series, EKO Acropolis Rally Greece [8-11 September].

Creighton, 24 from Moira in Co. Down will head for the iconic event, one of the most famous in the World Rally Championship tour for the very first time as the hotly contested Junior WRC makes its debut on the gruelling loose surface event.

With the final encounter of the five-round season offering up a double point scoring opportunity, Creighton could well improve on his fifth place in the championship but as the title is out of reach, the progressive driver is eager to make the most out of his trip to the unique rock-strewn roads surrounding the Lamia rally base.

“Rally Greece is another of those events that you grow up dreaming of contesting, so I feel very privileged to be heading there and rounding out our Junior WRC campaign on such an iconic rally,” says Creighton.

“Our approach will be pretty similar to the last round in Estonia really, we need to keep improving our pace stage by stage and of course, we need to learn how to adapt to the rough and unforgiving gravel tracks over there. It will need some smart thinking, but with no championship title at stake, it offers a little flexibility and Liam [Regan, co-driver] and I will be giving it our all to try and finish the season on a high”.

Creighton has endured a difficult second year on the Junior WRC tour. The season started on a high with a podium in the snow of Rally Sweden in February. Fifth in Croatia was followed by an uncharacteristic error in Portugal which meant he left the event with a zero score.

The ultra-high speed gravel roads of Rally Estonia would set to test the world’s best rally drivers and with the addition of unpredictable weather to add into the mix, it would arguably be a rally of survival rather than outright speed and Creighton once again came away with fifth spot.

He heads to the double-header final encounter in fifth in the standings but with points also available for stage wins, has the potential to climb the leader board in Greece. Fondly named the “Rally of the Gods” thanks to its Athens heritage, the event will mark the debut of the rally in the championship.

“It’s a fairly level playing field in Greece as none of the Junior drivers has contested the event before so it's nice that everyone will be starting fresh. However, it’s a mammoth challenge, not only are the stages really tough, the temperature in the car will be insane so we need to be at the top of our game."

"But I have prepared well by working on onboards of the previous year’s stages and together with the efforts of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy I am feeling positive heading into the weekend. It would be nice to round out the season with a good result, to repay all our backers and supporters for their dedication this year. Let’s see what we can do”.

M-SPORT FORD'S FIVE GO FOR IT ON GRAVEL IN GREECE

Posted: September 6, 2022 3:55 PM

Round ten of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship sees the M-Sport Ford World Rally team joined by nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb to form a five-strong attack on the gruelling gravel of Acropolis Rally Greece.

A founding event of the World Rally Championship in 1973, Acropolis Rally will bring unique challenges across 16 special stages covering 303.3 competitive kilometres.

One of the most brutal events on the calendar, crews will be put to the test next week in extreme temperatures that are set to go beyond 30 degrees Celsius. But focus is crucial on the Greek event; the rough gravel roads are lined by rocks waiting to catch crews out, with hanging dust hindering visibility.

Based in Lamia, 220 kilometres north of Athens, the event visits the country’s capital for an epic side-by-side super special inside the Olympic Stadium itself on Thursday evening. The opening full day of stages will prove to be an arduous one as crews will have to go the entire day with no midday service, instead having just a tyre fitting zone to punctuate Friday’s two loops of stages.

Nine-time world champion, and three-time Acropolis winner Sébastien Loeb, returns to the driving seat of an M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 alongside Rallye Monte-Carlo winning co-driver, Isabelle Galmiche.

Loeb’s experience in Greece could prove valuable to himself and the team during the rally as he embarks upon his fourth outing with M-Sport. The Frenchman will look to his previous wins and podium finishes on Acropolis to help him this week; particularly the 2012 victory which saw him lead the event outright from the fourth stage, collecting six stage wins on his way to the top step.

Craig Breen will also call on previous experience, with one victory in 2014 on the event’s appearance in ERC, and another podium finish the following year. Breen has had a strong season on gravel so far, claiming a podium result in Sardinia, and will hope to carry the same pace to Lamia next week.

On his second outing in Greece, Gus Greensmith will take confidence from his debut fifth overall result last year. The young driver set strong times in 2021, maintaining a good position throughout the rally and will head into this year’s event with a strong knowledge base.

Pierre-Louis Loubet also returns to the M-Sport ranks in Greece, having impressed the team throughout the season so far with his focus and pace, the Frenchman has brought home some strong results for the team including a podium near-miss in Sardinia.

Jourdan Serderidis is back in a Puma Rally1 for his home event after his impressive Rally1 debut on Safari Rally Kenya, where he claimed seventh overall.

Rich Millener, Team Principal, said:
“It’s been a pretty gruelling turnaround for the team to get five cars prepared for gravel, but we are now ready and raring to go for Greece. I’m looking forward to having Séb and Isabelle back with us and with his experience on this event we are feeling optimistic.

“It hasn’t been an easy season by any means, but we have seen some very promising and exciting pace from each and every one of our crews, so we have to take that and move forward.

“Greece is always an epic event; it is called the Rally of Gods for a reason! I’m particularly looking forward to WRC returning to the Olympic stadium for a side by side super special; a truly awesome setting for an awesome sport.

“We’ve seen some good results on gravel this year, particularly in Sardinia, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the team can do next week.”

Sébastien Loeb, said:
“Greece is a nice rally that I have always enjoyed. It’s a different event to the one I knew, it looks a lot less rough! There are a few stages that are still the same, but mostly we will be starting from scratch.

“It’s not an easy event, but it’s great to drive, so I’m looking forward to that. I will try my best, I will prepare as best as possible and I just hope I’ll be able to get into a good rhythm like I had in Kenya and Portugal. Hopefully we will do a bit better, without any mistakes or problems; that’s the goal.

“Our test went well, it was good, the feeling with the car was correct and quite good. We tried to address a bit of the setup with suspension, diffs and hybrid which all seemed to go quite well. I’m happy after the test, the car was working well, everything was ok, and we are ready for the rally.”

Craig Breen, said:
“It will be nice to go back to Greece, it’s an event I haven’t done for a while; I was there last year to do the recce but 2015 was the last time I competed. I have some good memories from Greece, it was my first international rally win back in 2014 and one of the big stepping stones of my career.

“I’ll enjoy going back there again. It looks like a difficult rally, there are a lot of tough, single-use stages. It’s going to be a long recce and a challenging week, but I’m looking forward to it. The test went well, we had a good feeling with the car, and hopefully we can get ourselves back on track again and bring home a good result in Greece.”

Gus Greensmith, said:
“Greece is one of the legendary rallies of the championship, and I really enjoyed competing there last year. It was a good result for us, finishing fifth overall - a top-five result next weekend would be a fantastic result, so that’s what we’re aiming for.”

“We know there are a lot of things that can go wrong in Greece, with how rough the roads are, but the team has built us a strong car so that should help us out!”

Pierre-Louis Loubet, said:
“I’m very happy to be heading to Greece, it’s an amazing country and a fantastic rally. With our road position, and the pace we showed in Portugal and Sardinia, I think we can do great things. I will try to push to the max on this rally, because I think we have everything we need to do well.

“The car is working great, the test was positive, and I’m feeling even more comfortable than I have before. I think the potential is there, so let’s see what happens.”

Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 10 – Acropolis Rally

Posted: September 6, 2022 3:53 PM

Hyundai Motorsport travels to Acropolis Rally, round ten of the 2022 FIA World Championship (WRC), feeling positive after back-to-back victories in the last two events. The team has demonstrated its Hyundai i20 N Rally1 is capable of competing for victory on all surfaces, but it remains focused on improving in all areas as it heads to the demanding gravel rally.

After a seven-year hiatus, Greece made a successful return to the WRC calendar last year. The legendary Hellenic event is gruelling, boasting high temperatures, twisting mountain stages and road conditions that become increasingly treacherous with each pass as the rocks and stones come loose. While speed will be key to producing a strong result, winning the war of attrition will also be vital in the fight for the podium places.

Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja managed to balance pace and reliability effectively at the 2021 edition of Acropolis Rally, where the pair finished second overall. The crew is currently filled with confidence following its recent victories in Finland and in Belgium.

For Belgians Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, Greece is a chance to come back fighting after their retirement from the lead of their home event. A third podium of the season would be a welcome result for the #11 squad. The line-up of crews in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 is completed by Dani Sordo and Cándido Carrera. The Spanish outfit has secured a top-three finish on their two previous WRC outings in 2022, both of which were on gravel.

The Acropolis Rally itinerary consists of 16 stages across four days, with a total distance of 303.30km. Almost half of that total will be completed on Saturday, as the competitors take on 147.98km of punishing gravel stages. Three tests on Sunday, including the rally’s Eleftherohori Power Stage, bring the event to a close.

Deputy Team Director Julien Moncet said:
“We head to Greece with the confidence that we can secure another strong result following our victories at Rally Finland and Ypres Rally Belgium. These performances have shown that the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 has the capability to win on any surface, so we will continue to push for victory at every event. Of course, we must not be complacent; the field is incredibly strong, and anything can happen in WRC. This is especially true at Acropolis Rally, as it is one of the most demanding rallies on the calendar for both the cars and crews. Our target will be to stay out of trouble and be in a position to battle for the top spot heading into the final stages. We have an excellent line-up that we believe can do this and deliver another positive weekend for the team.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)?
Estonians are targeting third consecutive win
Crew finished on podium in Greece last season

Tänak?said:?“Acropolis Rally is a great event; the roads are smoother than they seem and nice to drive. Last year the weather was not what we were expecting, as it was a bit wet and damp, so we will see what the conditions are like this year. We are feeling positive after winning in Ypres, and as we were able to get on the podium in Greece last year, it is our hope that we can do the same again next weekend. Going from the tarmac of Belgium to gravel is a big change, but we know we can be strong on this surface after our wins in Italy and Finland.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)?
Crew looking to bounce back after disappointing home rally
Belgian duo ready for gruelling gravel challenge

Neuville said:?“Greece will be a very challenging event. It is expected to be hot, so it will feel like we are still in summer. The stages are tough, as some are very long and the conditions can be rough in parts. The days themselves are also gruelling, with early starts and late finishes. It is a rally I have done a few times in the past, back in 2012 and 2013, and then of course last year as well, and it is a place that has given me good memories. We will need a reliable and strong car to battle the terrain and the heat, which will make it tough also for us in the cockpit. If all goes well, our target is to fight for the podium.” ??

Crew Notes: Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera (#6 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)?
Spaniards return to line-up for third time in 2022
Pair have finished on podium at both previous events this season

Sordo said:?“This is going to be a very demanding rally, as it is going to be hot conditions for the cars as well as us in the cockpit. The gravel roads are also very tough on the tyres, so it will not just be about the speed in Greece. Of course everyone will be pushing hard, but you will have to be clever in certain sections and not go over the limit. There is also the small chance of rain that could make the stages very slippery and even harder to deal with. Cándido and I have managed to get a podium at both our previous events this season, so we would like to continue that top-three form next weekend.”

WRC2 Overview
After their win in Rally Finland was taken away by a post-event exclusion, Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula have their sights set on victory in Greece. While it will be the crew’s first outing at the Rally of the Gods, the duo has shown impressive pace on gravel in the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 this season.

Paraguyan driver Fabrizio Zaldivar has improved at every WRC2 event in 2022. With Marcelo Der Ohannesian in the co-driver seat, the pair will be targeting another solid performance in one of the year’s most demanding events.

Suninen said: “I am excited for my first Acropolis Rally! The stages will be twisty and demanding, which should be a good challenge. In the last rallies, we have seen winning pace from the Hyundai i20 N Rally2, so I am looking forward to what we can achieve next week. The pre-event test will be crucial for us to get up to speed quickly so we can fight at the front of the field throughout the weekend. It will not be an easy task, but it is one we are really looking forward to.”

Zaldivar said: “Acropolis Rally is one of those classic events that you dream of being able to drive as a child. Last year we had a good performance in our debut. With several more events of experience, as well as the hard work that we have been doing together with Hyundai Motorsport N, we have very good expectations for this year. Much like previous rounds, the pre-event test will be useful ahead of the event. There is a lot of commitment on the part of the team and I feel that in each test we advance a new step with the car.”

Deputy Team Director Julien Moncet said: “It was disappointing to see Teemu and Mikko lose their Rally Finland win, however it doesn’t take away from their incredible performance on home soil. They have demonstrated their ability to fight at the front of the WRC2 field and we expect them to do just that in Greece. Fabrizio and Marcelo are learning more and more with every event, and we are happy to see them progressing throughout the season. Both crews will have to work hard to achieve the results they are hoping for, but we confident we can leave the rally feeling positive about our WRC2 performance.”

Weekend at a Glance
Acropolis Rally kicks-off on Thursday evening with a single stage at the Olympic Stadium in Athens
Two loops of Loutraki (17.95km), Harvati (14.42km) and Dafni (13.99km) make up the schedule on Friday
Saturday is the longest day of the rally, with the day’s six stages combining for a total of 147.98km, just under half of the overall event distance
The rally concludes on Sunday with three final stages, including two passes of Eleftherohori (16.90km), the second of which being the event’s Power Stage.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing going for gold in Greece

Posted: September 6, 2022 3:49 PM

The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team aims to return to the top step of the podium on the legendary Acropolis Rally in Greece on September 8-11, round 10 of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship.

The Acropolis returned to the WRC calendar in 2021, having been an almost permanent fixture up until 2013 with a reputation for rocky mountain roads and high temperatures which combine to create a tough challenge for the cars, tyres and drivers.

Kalle Rovanperä, who won the event at the first attempt last year, has a lead of 72 points with four rounds remaining and the possibility to write his name in history in Greece if he can finish the rally on the podium, depending on others’ results.

After finishing second last time out in Belgium, Elfyn Evans is third in the standings and one of those also still in contention for the drivers’ title. Following two podiums in the last two rounds, Esapekka Lappi will contest the Acropolis for the first time since 2014, while Takamoto Katsuta will make his event debut with TGR WRT Next Generation.

This year’s rally begins with a Thursday night superspecial stage in the Athens Olympic Stadium, which previously hosted the WRC in 2005/06. From there crews head directly west to Loutraki, ready for two passes of the stage of the same name on Friday morning, sandwiching a single pass of the adjacent Harvati. The afternoon journey north to the service park in Lamia includes three more stages: a tyre-fitting zone separates the new Dafni and Livadia tests, which are followed by Bauxites. Saturday consists of two loops of three stages west of Lamia and almost half of the rally’s competitive distance. Pyrgos is the longest stage of the weekend at 33.2 kilometres and precedes the returning Perivoli and famous Tarzan test. On Sunday, Elatia-Rengini separates two passes of Eleftherohori, the second forming the rally-ending Power Stage.

Quotes:

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“After being very close to the victory in the last two rallies, we go to Greece really wanting to win, but we know that it won’t be easy on such a tough event. The Acropolis is a legendary rally and it’s great to have it back on the calendar since last year. We saw that the gravel roads there are generally not quite as rough as they were in the past. This means that, although reliability is still really important, we also need to have a strong level of performance. Kalle took a great victory last year in difficult conditions and rain which is of course not typical in Greece. Repeating that will be difficult now he is running first on the road, especially as most of Friday’s stages are run only once, but Kalle has been handling this challenge very well so far this season. Elfyn and Esapekka have also been very strong recently and hopefully they can continue in a similar way in Greece.”

Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin
Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“I’m looking forward to the Acropolis Rally. After the high-speed nature of Estonia and Finland, Greece will offer a very different challenge for a gravel rally. Sardinia was the last rough gravel event we had in Europe and we had quite a good feeling with the car there and good speed, even though we didn’t get the result at the end of the weekend. There are still things we can improve, and hopefully we can pick up where we left off and keep making steps forward in Greece. Most likely it will be a hot and tough rally like the Acropolis is known for, but we saw last year with the rain that we can’t be completely certain about the weather.”

Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen
Kalle Rovanperä (Driver car 69)
“Belgium was a difficult weekend for us, so in Greece we just need to get back at the level where we should be and try to have a good rally. The championship is never over until it’s over so we can’t think about it too much: We’re just trying to get good points from each event and control what we can. Greece was a really nice rally for us last year but our chances this time will probably depend a lot on the weather. If it’s going to be dry then I think it’s going to be really tricky for us to open the road on Friday. If so, it probably won’t be much easier for our rivals just behind us, and hopefully we can still make the best of the situation.”

Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm
Esapekka Lappi (Driver car 4)
“In Greece we will be going to something that’s quite unknown for me. I did the rally once before in 2014 when it was a round of the European championship, but half of it was on asphalt then, so there will be a lot that’s new to discover. But I had also not been to Ypres for eight years and we finished on the podium there. So we will try and aim for something similar again this time. We had good speed and a good feeling on similarly rough gravel roads in Sardinia, and hopefully we can find that again in Greece.”

Entry List

Posted: August 11, 2022 11:01 AM

Greece (WRC) - 8-11 Sep 22 - ENTRY LIST

Rally Guide / Details / Event Website

Posted: August 11, 2022 11:00 AM

Acropolis Rally (Greece)