Ott Tänak leads WRC Acropolis Rally Greece after Friday’s action by just 3 seconds over his Hyundai team-mate Adrien Fourmaux, who’s in the hunt for a first WRC rally win.
With ambient temperatures pushing past 40°C and cockpit heat even higher, it was one of the roughest, most attritional Acropolis days in recent memory. Thierry Neuville, who briefly led after SS3, dropped around three minutes across the remainder of the day with two punctures, while Toyota rivals Takamoto Katsuta and Kalle Rovanperä faced similar setbacks.
Tänak, typically unfazed, played the long game with a clean and consistent approach alongside co-driver Martin Järveoja. While he didn’t win a single one of the six gravel speed tests, the Estonian’s only real scare was a debeaded tyre towards the end of SS4 and the time loss was minimal.
“It was definitely a very positive day altogether,” Tänak said. “For sure, at times it was difficult to keep everything in one piece, but I think in the end we must be happy that we didn’t have any big trouble with the tyres or with the car. We are definitely happy to be here.”
Fourmaux was rapid and resilient, shrugging off a frustrating delay while stuck in Katsuta’s dust on SS2 to win three stages.
Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier lay third overnight, 16.9sec off the lead in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. The eight-time world champion started strongly and led the rally until SS5, but earlier damage limited his tyre options for the final two stages.
Evans keeps it clean on tough Friday, Munster P5
Behind the top three, championship leader Elfyn Evans held fourth after long day of road-opening in his Toyota, while Grégoire Munster sat a fine fifth aboard his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 – the Luxembourger openly playing the long game with a focus on staying clear of trouble.
Takamoto Katsuta was sixth and over two and a half minutes back from the lead after back-to-back punctures on the opening two stages, with Rovanperä seventh, still in the fight despite stopping to change a wheel on the penultimate stage.
Frustrating day for Neuville: ‘It’s a lottery sometimes’
Defending champion and last year’s Acropolis winner Neuville, eighth, cut a frustrated figure after a day that could – and perhaps should – have delivered more. “We were hit twice today,” he said. “We pushed, we deserved more, but it’s a lottery sometimes.”
WRC2 drivers Oliver Solberg and Kajetan Kajetanowicz rounded out the overall top 10 with Gus Greensmith 11th ahead of Josh McErlean, who also stopped to change a wheel this morning.
Sesks and Pajari both forced to retire
Mārtiņš Sesks retired his Puma prior to the final stage with a fuel issue, joining Toyota’s Sami Pajari – who was forced out earlier with a fluid leak – on the list of Rally1 casualties. Both are expected to restart for Saturday’s six-stage leg, which includes over 120km against the clock.
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WRC Acropolis Rally Greece 2025 – O/A Classification after SS7 (End of Friday)
| # | Drivers | Car | Time / Diff to 1st |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tänak / Järveoja | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | 1:25:07.4 |
| 2. | Fourmaux / Coria | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +3.0 |
| 3. | Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +16.9 |
| 4. | Evans / Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +1:21.5 |
| 5. | Munster / Louka | Ford Puma Rally1 | +1:43.3 |
| 6. | Katsuta / Johnston | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +2:34.3 |
| 7. | Rovanperä / Halttunen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +2:38.1 |
| 8. | Neuville / Wydaeghe | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +2:38.3 |
| 9. | Solberg / Edmondson | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | +2:48.4 |
| 10 | Kajetanowicz / Szczepaniak | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | +3:41.8 |
Content, photo: Red Bull Content Pool
