The Acropolis Rally, part of the World Rally Championship (WRC), saw Belgian driver Thierry Neuville (Hyundai I20 Rally1) maintaining his lead after the second stage. Neuville holds a commanding position, ahead of Spanish driver Dani Sordo (Hyundai I20 Rally1), who trails by 54.9 seconds. Frenchman Sébastien Ogier (Toyota Yaris Rally1), an eight-time world champion, is in third place, 1 minute and 19.9 seconds behind the leader. Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai I20 Rally1), who led after the first stage, encountered significant setbacks due to two punctures, dropping him to fourth.
Challenges of the Acropolis Rally
The Acropolis Rally is living up to its reputation as one of the toughest events in the WRC calendar. The rocky, gravel-covered stages have taken their toll on both drivers and machines, with several incidents reported. Estonian Ott Tänak, who led after the first stage, suffered a major setback after puncturing two tires on Saturday morning. Despite finishing the stage, he dropped to fourth place, more than three minutes behind Neuville.
In the WRC2 category, Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz finds himself in a challenging position. Currently fourth in the overall WRC2 standings and third among the private teams in the WRC2 Challenger category, Kajetanowicz is pushing hard despite the grueling conditions. He sits in eighth overall, nearly seven minutes behind the leader.