A total of 72 crews have registered for the prestigious rally in Greece, with nine Rally1 cars set to compete in the top category.
Toyota confirmed earlier on Monday that Sebastien Ogier will drive the third Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 car in Greece, while Kalle Rovanperä takes a break from the WRC. The entry list also revealed who will drive Hyundai’s third car alongside Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak.
Spanish veteran Dani Sordo has been given the honour of starting in the iconic Acropolis Rally in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car, where he has finished third in the last two years. Sordo is a specialist in slow gravel rallies, and in Greece, he will benefit from a favourable starting position.
Among Hyundai’s drivers, Esapekka Lappi and Andreas Mikkelsen will be sitting this one out. Mikkelsen had previously expressed a desire to compete in Greece, but Hyundai opted to rely on the experienced Spanish driver.
Sordo has contested two WRC rounds this season, finishing fifth in Portugal and third on the island of Sardinia. This season might be Sordo’s last in the WRC, so it is possible that the Acropolis Rally could be his final event as a factory driver.
M-Sport will field three Ford Puma Rally1 cars, with Greek gentleman driver Jourdan Serderidis once again starting his home rally in top-tier machinery.
The WRC2 competition boasts a strong line-up once again. Sami Pajari, who made his debut in Toyota’s Rally1 machinery at Rally Finland, will return to the Toyota Rally2 car in Greece, aiming to secure valuable points in the championship battle.
He will face tough competition from the likes of Yohan Rossel, Lauri Joona, Nikolay Gryazin, Jan Solans, Georg Linnamäe, Gus Greensmith, and Pierre-Louis Loubet.
The Acropolis Rally is scheduled for 5th-8th September.
