Punctures were a defining theme of the day’s special stages, particularly with Hankook tyres suffering on the punishing gravel roads. Several top WRC drivers, including Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä and Takamoto Katsuta, as well as Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, lost valuable time dealing with tyre changes.
Toyota driver Sami Pajari was forced to retire for the day before the final two stages. At the refuelling zone, Pajari noticed a fluid leak from his car, which meant his Toyota had to be parked up for the remainder of the leg.
There was more drama before the final stage of the day, when M-Sport Ford’s Martins Sesks also had to retire. At the end of the previous test, Sesks reported a strong smell of fuel inside the car, which ultimately led to his withdrawal.
Hyundai currently holds a one-two lead in the rally after seven stages. Ott Tänak is in front with a three-second advantage over his team-mate Adrien Fourmaux.
“We had a clean day, so I can be happy,” Tänak summarised.
Toyota drivers Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier were hampered by road-sweeping duties, being the first cars on the road. However, Ogier managed to remain in the fight for the lead. At one point, the French ace even led the rally, but he slipped behind the Hyundai duo during the afternoon loop. Ogier now trails Tänak by 16.9 seconds.
Championship leader Evans will head into Saturday in fourth place, though he is already over a minute adrift of the leading trio. Just behind him in fifth is Ford’s Grégoire Munster.
Katsuta and Rovanperä, who both fell out of the lead battle due to punctures, continue the rally in sixth and seventh respectively. Katsuta holds a narrow 3.8-second gap over his team-mate.
“It’s been a really long day and a demanding one – both for the car and for us. Things could have gone much better. We did our best, but we need to improve tomorrow,” said Rovanperä at the end of the day.
Defending champion Neuville sits eighth, right behind Katsuta and Rovanperä. The Belgian launched a strong push on Friday’s final stage but remained just behind Rovanperä by 0.2 seconds. That small margin gives the Toyota driver a slightly more favourable road position for Saturday than his Hyundai rival.
Toyota’s Oliver Solberg has dominated the WRC2 category and holds a lead of nearly one minute. He currently sits ninth overall in the rally standings.
The Acropolis Rally continues on Saturday with six more special stages, before the event concludes on Sunday.
Acropolis Rally standings after SS7/17:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
| 1. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | 1:25:07.4 |
| 2. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +3.0 |
| 3. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +16.9 |
| 4. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +1:21.5 |
| 5. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +1:43.3 |
| 6. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +2:34.3 |
| 7. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +2:38.1 |
| 8. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +2:38.3 |
| 9. | Oliver Solberg | Toyota | +2:48.4 |
Acropolis Rally Itinerary (CET):
Thursday 26 June 07.01 Shakedown: Lygaria (3.62 km) 17.05 SS1: EKO Athens (1.50 km) Friday 27 June 06.28 SS2: Aghii Theodori 1 (26.76 km) 07.31 SS3: Loutraki (12.90 km) 09.28 SS4: Aghii Theodori 2 (26.76 km) 10.46 Remote service 20 min 13.29 SS5: Thiva (19.58 km) 15.50 SS6: Stiri (24.18 km) 18.31 SS7: Elatia (11.58 km) Saturday 28 June 07.22 SS8: Pavliani 1 (24.58 km) 09.05 SS9: Karoutes 1 (19.48 km) 10.32 SS10: Inohori 1 (17.66 km) 12.32 Service 45 min 14.22 SS11: Pavliani 2 (24.58 km) 16.05 SS12: Karoutes 2 (19.48 km) 17.32 SS13: Inohori 2 (17.66 km) Sunday 29 June 07.03 SS14: Smokovo 1 (26.16 km) 08.05 SS15: Tarzan 1 (23.37 km) 10.09 Service 15 min 11.32 SS16: Smokovo 2 (26.16 km) 13.15 SS17: Tarzan 2 (23.37 km) *Power Stage
