Neuville had a particularly eventful morning, as his contract extension with Hyundai was announced around the same time the shakedown began. The Belgian driver will continue to race the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car in the 2025 season.
Read more: Big news from the WRC – Thierry Neuville reveals his future plans
Neuville struggled to reach top speeds on his first pass of the shakedown due to the loose gravel on the road, which he had to sweep away. However, as the road became cleaner, Neuville was able to drive on a clearer line in his subsequent attempts.
Neuville set the fastest time of 2:38.2 on his third pass, beating Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta by 0.9 seconds.
Hyundai drivers were in excellent form, as the team’s entire trio finished in the top four. Ott Tänak placed third on the test stage, while Dani Sordo took fourth.
Tänak was the fastest among the top-class drivers on the first run of the shakedown. He also holds a slight advantage over his teammate Neuville in the starting positions for the opening day of the competition, as Tänak will be the third car on the road. Meanwhile, championship leader Neuville will be sweeping the road, likely losing time due to his starting position.
M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux finished fifth in the test, ahead of Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier and his teammate Gregoire Munster.
Acropolis Rally kicks off in earnest on Friday, with six special stages on the agenda.
Shakedown results:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | 2:38.2 |
| 2. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | 2:39.1 |
| 3. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | 2:39.7 |
| 4. | Dani Sordo | Hyundai | 2:40.4 |
| 5. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | 2:41,7 |
| 6. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | 2:42.6 |
| 7. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | 2:44.6 |
| 8. | Gus Greensmith | Skoda | 2:45.0 |
| 9. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | 2:46.4 |
| 10. | Robert Virves | Skoda | 2:46.7 |
Acropolis Rally itinerary (CET) :
Thursday, 5 September 08:01 Shakedown: Lygaria (3.62 km) Friday, 6 September 06:58 SS1: Ano Pavliani 1 (22.47 km) 08:09 SS2: Dafni 1 (21.67 km) 10:17 SS3: Tarzan 1 (23.37 km) 12:16 Service (30 min) 13:29 SS4: Ano Pavliani 2 (22.47 km) 15:40 SS5: Dafni 2 (21.67 km) 16:48 SS6: Tarzan 2 (23.37 km) Saturday, 7 September 07:16 SS7: Rengini (28.67 km) 09:37 SS8: Thiva (20.95 km) 12:05 SS9: Aghii Theodori 1 (25.87 km) 13:58 Tyre fitting zone (15 min) 14:46 SS10: Loutraki (12.90 km) 16:05 SS11: Aghii Theodori 2 (25.87 km) 20:05 SS12: EKO SSS (1.97 km) Sunday, 8 September 07:59 SS13: Inohori (17.47 km) 09:05 SS14: Eleftherohori 1 (18.29 km) 11:15 Service break (15 min) 12:15 SS15: Eleftherohori 2 (18.29 km) Power Stage
