As expected, the Greek round was full of drama. In practice, only two drivers got through the rally without major issues: winner Ott Tänak and runner-up Sébastien Ogier.
Tänak and Ogier had also gone head-to-head in the previous rallies in Portugal and Sardinia. This time, the Estonian star of Hyundai had the upper hand and delivered the first win of the season for his team.
Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux reached the podium for the second time this season by finishing third. Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, who leads the championship, also collected a decent haul of points in fourth place. But for the other top-tier drivers, the weekend was significantly tougher.
RallyJournal.com journalists Toni Heinonen, Aki Hietavala and Ville Hirvonen rated each Rally1 driver’s performance using grading scale, where 10 is the best and 4 is the worst.
Toni Heinonen
Ott Tänak 10- (Position: 1st)
Finally, Tänak takes the win! In the last couple of rallies, he had been beaten by Ogier, but this time the Estonian star dominated the weekend. Clearly the strongest driver throughout. A small deduction for losing Super Sunday points due to a gearbox issue – though that wasn’t Tänak’s fault. If this form continues, Tänak is the number one title favourite this season.
Sébastien Ogier 9+ (Position: 2nd)
This time he couldn’t match Tänak, but it was still excellent work from the French veteran. Ogier avoided problems and delivered another great result for Toyota. His season record is just incredible: three wins and two second places. He’s truly a master, no matter how tricky the conditions.
Adrien Fourmaux 8 (Position: 3rd)
Pace was once again there, and he was in the fight for victory for quite a while. Then came a small error when the rear suspension broke after an impact. At that moment, I did wonder if Fourmaux had blown it again. But this time he got away with a scare and reached the finish – on the podium, no less.
Elfyn Evans 7½ (Position: 4th)
The championship leader dropped out of the victory fight as expected due to road sweeping on Friday. Didn’t do anything flashy but still secured solid points. Now he’s made it through the toughest slow gravel rallies and heads into faster events – and he’ll need to perform in Estonia and Finland if he wants to keep his title hopes alive.
Thierry Neuville 7 (Position: 5th)
Started the rally strong, but tyre issues soon plagued the Belgian. Still managed to claw back to a reasonable position. The biggest concern is that he failed to close the gap to Evans in the standings. His chances of defending the title now seem even slimmer.
Josh McErlean 6 (Position: 12th)
Tyre issues ruined his rally right from the start. Never really impressed – the pace was as expected. But at least this time he made it to the finish without retiring.
Martins Sesks 6 (Position: 15th)
Expectations weren’t high for the Latvian. The result could have been much better, but Friday’s retirement due to a fuel system failure spoiled the rally. In Estonia and Finland, he needs to deliver a serious performance.
Kalle Rovanperä 5- (Position: 26th)
A gloomy weekend overall – he was completely lost. Pace compared to the front was totally missing. Then he went off and retired on Saturday. Only collected four points from the Power Stage. Rovanperä himself claimed he’s not worried, even though the car and tyre setup still isn’t working. But if he wants to fight for the title, he needs significantly better results in the coming rallies.
Takamoto Katsuta 5 (Position: 27th)
Puncture on Friday and retirement due to an off on Saturday. Another missed opportunity for the Japanese driver. On Sunday, though, he showed strong team spirit by tactically giving Rovanperä a better starting position for the Power Stage.
Sami Pajari 6 (Position: 48th)
Strong start to the rally, but then a retirement due to an oil leak in his Toyota. That wasn’t the driver’s fault. Saturday turned into a rest day, but he gained more experience on Sunday’s stages.
Grégoire Munster 6+ (Retired)
Didn’t impress with speed, but had the right approach to a challenging rally: getting through the stages cleanly. Until Saturday night, it looked like the strategy might earn a decent result. But in evening service, a technical fault ended the rally entirely.
Aki Hietavala
Ott Tänak 10
Tänak was the king of Greece. No question about who was the fastest driver of the weekend. Sealed the deal on Saturday morning when he could attack from further back than Ogier. Tänak had to bow to Ogier in Portugal and Sardinia, but now finally took his first win of the season. Possibly the biggest title favourite right now.
Sébastien Ogier 9
Once again, an excellent performance from the Frenchman. Five rallies this season, three wins and two second places. Maybe Toyota could convince him to shorten his summer break and do Estonia too? Right now, he’s the only Toyota driver consistently capable of challenging Tänak.
Adrien Fourmaux 8½
Close to excellent. One small mistake brought the grade slightly down, but fortunately the car’s rear end only got banged up and didn’t cost him the podium. He has plenty of third places, and it feels like an even better result is coming soon. A solid confidence boost for the Frenchman.
Elfyn Evans 7+
Championship lead has shrunk again. Tänak is breathing down his neck. Evans’s form is trending downward. He earned the first road position with a good early season, and his strategy in Greece worked reasonably well. But he can’t keep playing it safe. Estonia and Finland will be crucial for his title hopes. Luckily, he’s always been comfortable in fast rallies.
Thierry Neuville 7
Hard to evaluate. Suffered multiple punctures and a technical issue on Sunday. Luck just isn’t on his side at the moment. Still salvaged some points. But defending the championship seems highly unlikely now.
Josh McErlean 6+
Once again showed fighting spirit, repairing his car and rejoining. Might have been the best Ford driver – although that’s debatable as an achievement. McErlean could use a bit of luck to start getting results.
Martins Sesks 6
So far this season, Sesks hasn’t really shown anything in the top class of the WRC. Maybe Estonia will be the breakout moment? At least, that’s the hope – otherwise, it’s shaping up to be a dull season for the Latvian. Of course, technical issues can’t be blamed on him, but I expected more from him in these three gravel rallies. Rallying is a sport of experience – as Sesks is proving.
Kalle Rovanperä 5
The off didn’t cost many points since he was only headed for eighth place. Still struggling badly with the Hankook tyres. Somehow, a miracle setup needs to be found, because the next rallies are his favourites – Estonia and Finland. Apparently the car broke under braking before the off. Still, it’s strange he can’t get the tyres to suit him.
Takamoto Katsuta 4½
According to Katsuta himself, the Saturday off was his own fault – braked too late and hit a bank. Another mistake at a point where he had decent points coming his way. Pace was there at times, so he just about gets a passing grade.
Sami Pajari 7
Retired and missed Saturday completely – and still gets a seven? Actually, Pajari was performing very well before the technical issue on Friday morning. A new part failed, but the problem wasn’t found during Friday’s evening service. Nothing he could have done.
Grégoire Munster 7-
Same as with Pajari. Was driving at a suitable pace and very sensibly, but a technical fault ended the rally in Saturday’s evening service. Also suffered a handbrake issue, which cost some time. A shame, as he was on course for a decent result.
Ville Hirvonen
Ott Tänak 10(+)
Tänak is back! The Estonian delivered an immensely convincing drive in extremely demanding conditions and won by a mile. The gearbox issue on the Power Stage caused some nervous moments, but that wasn’t his fault. What stood out was how confident he seemed all weekend. If you can throw shade at an eight-time world champion like Ogier, then you clearly believe in your pace. This is the Tänak we’ve missed! Bonus point on top of a perfect ten.
Sébastien Ogier 9
Another excellent drive, even if he couldn’t match Tänak’s speed this time. Still brought home a big, valuable points haul for Toyota and was once again the team’s best and most consistent performer. Extra credit for winning Super Sunday and the Power Stage.
Adrien Fourmaux 8
Some small mistakes again, but overall a solid performance from the Frenchman. Delivered crucial points for his team. If he could just maintain this kind of consistency, he’d be a very valuable asset.
Elfyn Evans 8
Hard to criticise the Welshman’s performance. Had the unenviable job of road sweeping early on but managed his pace smartly afterwards and extracted all the points available.
Thierry Neuville 6
Not Neuville’s weekend. Seemed to be collecting punctures, and the rally completely fell apart on Sunday when he lost power. Now with technical issues added to the mix! At this point, it’s hard to believe he’ll be able to defend his world title successfully this year.
Josh McErlean 5
Never really got going. Lots of issues and mistakes. Not much to say about the Irishman’s performance.
Martins Sesks 5
Ruined his rally early on by spinning on the second stage and also had a puncture. Pace was underwhelming throughout. Needs to deliver in Estonia and Finland. Fast gravel rallies should suit the Latvian well – and he’ll have a big chance to prove himself there.
Kalle Rovanperä 5
A dreadful weekend. No pace at all and then went off on Saturday. Whether the off was purely driver error or due to brake failure doesn’t matter much – the speed just wasn’t there. Next up are two fast gravel rallies: Estonia and Finland. Those will be a ruthless test of Rovanperä’s current level. If the pace isn’t there even in those events, it’ll be time for serious concern. Right now, he looks so far from his best that it’s hard to recognise him as the same driver who won the world titles.
Takamoto Katsuta 5+
Another weekend filled with mistakes. Pace showed only occasionally – not enough. Failed to deliver what the team needed. He must improve, or his WRC career could soon be over. Extra credit for showing strong team spirit by giving Rovanperä a better starting position for the Power Stage.
Sami Pajari 7
The Finn started the rally at least decently but had to retire early due to a technical issue. Saturday was lost. Hard to rate again. Managed to beat Rovanperä at times and gained valuable experience. A reasonable performance – not good, not bad. One point on Super Sunday adds a little bonus.
Grégoire Munster 4
Retired. Before that, was only participating in the rally.
