Thierry Neuville has moved nearer to his first FIA World Rally Championship title with a surprising victory on the 2024 EKO Acropolis Rally Greece. The Belgian driver weathered a harrowing three-day occasion in Lamia to safe a Hyundai Motorsport 1-2-3 end, overshadowing his principal title rival Sébastien Ogier, who confronted a dramatic roll within the closing stage.
A Grueling Occasion
The Acropolis Rally, recognized for its brutal circumstances, lived as much as its repute. Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe emerged victorious of their Hyundai i20 N regardless of early setbacks. A misfiring engine on the opening morning threatened their rally however they expertly managed their technique, balancing danger and reward to keep away from additional mishaps.
Hyundai’s dominance was evident as Neuville led a podium sweep, with Dani Sordo and Ott Tänak ending in second and third respectively. Neuville’s win stretched his lead within the drivers’ standings to 34 factors over Tänak, whereas Ogier, who had been main early on, suffered a big setback.
Ogier’s Dramatic Roll
Sébastien Ogier, who had initially set a powerful tempo, encountered a turbocharger failure on Friday that compromised his rally. The Frenchman’s misfortunes continued as he rolled his Toyota GR Yaris on the Wolf Energy Stage. Though Ogier managed to push his automotive again onto its wheels and end the rally, he dropped greater than 20 minutes and fell down the standings, in the end ending out of the highest three.
“The rally was extremely powerful, and I didn’t have the details about Ogier’s crash till I noticed the automotive,” Neuville commented. “We knew we needed to concentrate on getting by means of the rally and attaining our targets. I’m extremely pleased with my workforce and Martijn for getting the automotive to the top.”
Tänak and WRC2 Success
With Ogier struggling, Ott Tänak capitalized on the chance, incomes 11 factors from Tremendous Sunday and securing his fiftieth WRC podium. Tänak now holds a slim four-point benefit over Ogier within the drivers’ championship.
Within the WRC2 class, Sami Pajari excelled, securing victory and fourth place general in his Rally2-spec Toyota. Pajari’s fast instances, together with a standout SS1 efficiency, allowed him to edge out Robert Virves on countback.
The Acropolis Rally was so punishing that it noticed WRC2 drivers fill the highest 10 positions, with Yohan Rossel, Kajetan Kajetanowicz, Fau Zaldivar, Josh McErlean, and Roberto Daprà rounding out the highest spots.
Rally Classification:
1. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N 3h 38m 4.2s
2. D Sordo / C Carrera ESP Hyundai i20 N +1m 46.8s
3. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +2m 57.3s
4. S Pajari / E Mälkönen FIN Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 +7m 1.1s
5. R Virves / A Lesk EST Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 +7m 1.1s
Championship Standings
With the Acropolis Rally full, the WRC championship standings are as follows:
- Thierry Neuville – 192 factors
- Ott Tänak – 158 factors
- Sébastien Ogier – 154 factors
The WRC now shifts its focus to South America for Spherical 11, the Rally Chile Bio Bío, happening in Concepción from September 26-29.
Supply: WRC
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