The World Rally Championship title fight is entering its final stretch, with four rounds remaining in the season. Four drivers are still in contention, although Thierry Neuville has pulled ahead with a 27-point lead over his closest rival, Toyota driver Ogier. Hyundai’s Ott Tänak and Toyota’s Elfyn Evans are trailing behind Ogier.
You can view the full World Rally Championship standings here.
Ogier has skipped three rallies this season, but in the six he has competed in, the French star has been in stunning form, securing three victories and three second-place finishes.
Ogier, who has stealthily re-entered the title fight, will begin his serious chase in Greece. Following his victory at Rally Finland, Ogier announced that he would compete in all the remaining rounds of the season to help Toyota in the manufacturers’ championship and simultaneously fight for his ninth title.
“The Acropolis Rally is one of the legendary events in the history of our sport and I enjoy going to Greece, so it had always been my plan together with the team that I would compete there again this year,” Ogier explains.
“It’s a rally that I managed to win once quite early in my career, and then it was not in the calendar for many years, so it would be nice to take another victory there.”
On the opening day of the iconic Acropolis Rally, Hyundai driver Neuville will act as the road sweeper, which is likely to cause him significant difficulty. Ogier will be running second on the road, giving him a slightly better starting position than Neuville.
Last year, Ogier was in the fight for victory at the Acropolis Rally. However, the Frenchman’s bid for a top finish ended on the final special stage of Saturday evening, where he suffered a double puncture.
“Last year, we were leading until we were quite unlucky in some very rough conditions: it can be the kind of rally where you need some luck on your side to avoid trouble. Like always, the aim will be to try and fight for the top places and for as many points as we can,” Ogier plans.
The Acropolis Rally shakedown will take place on Thursday, with the competition kicking off in earnest on Friday.
