The first day of pure racing, away from the glamour of the Acropolis and the aura of Nero Square, and it didn’t take long for even the most uninitiated to understand what EKO Acropolis Rally is all about. For most crews, the route from the soil of Corinthia to Fthiotida was like a journey in murky waters, since the noticeable improvement of the weather conditions significantly changed the condition of the roads. Last year’s winner of the race, Thierry Neuville, with Hyundai i20 N Rally1, reached the top of the standings in Lamia.
The first day of the EKO Acropolis Rally turned into a battle for survival in mixed conditions. The mainland “saw” sunshine after days, but the special routes have not dried out. Thus, the crews that in the previous days made reconnaissance on muddy -most of the race- roads, were already in the morning not able to know which is the right tread for the conditions they would find in front of them.
Thierry Neuville in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 took the lead from the 2nd stage but, not having built up a safety margin, took a risk in the afternoon by opting for the soft tyre. He encountered a problem with the transmission system, but he arrived at the EKO Service Park in Lamia 2.8 seconds ahead of Sebastien Ogier in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. The battle between the two is expected to be joined tomorrow by 2022 World Champion Kalle Rovanpera, who suffered a lot of trouble as he was the one “opening” the road. Tomorrow, however, he will have a favourable starting order, as well as a significant number of soft tyres at his disposal.
Elfyn Evans and Esapekka Lappi, driving a Toyota GR Yaris and Hyundai i20 N, respectively, with just 1.1 seconds separating them, are fighting for fourth place. Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta in the fourth Toyota GR Yaris is trying to adapt to the demanding race conditions, which is also the case for Dani Sordo, who lost time when his i20 N’s engine died on the SS. Elatea.
For the M-Sport Ford camp, the day did not go well at all, as Pierre-Louis Loubet was forced to retire due to a mechanical problem without even entering the 1st SS, Ott Tanak was plagued by the water pump of his Puma Rally1 for most of the day, while Jordan Serderidis failed to adapt to the route.
In first place among the Greek crews is Lambros Athanasoulas with Hyundai i20 N Rally2, who, avoiding taking risks, has managed to stay out of trouble. Alexandros Tsouloftas was unlucky, who retired due to a semi-axle failure in 5th e.d. and while leading the informal Greek classification.
Undisciplined spectators
The only stumbling block on an otherwise genuinely athletic day was the indiscipline of some spectators on security issues and their indifference to the fate of the race and all those in its areas, attitudes that resulted in the interruption of the race. Loutraki 2, since they themselves were standing in prohibited areas.
In any case, such practices will be dealt with in the same way, as both the organisation and the International Federation will not risk the safety of anyone at the race.
The Saturday programme
7.08 Pavliani 1 24,25 km
8.41 Carutes 1 28,49 km
11.00 Eleftherochori 1 18,02 km
14.08 Pavliani 2 24,25 km
15.41 Carutes 2 28,49 km
16.00 Eleftherochori 2 18,02 km
