After a good break since Rally Japan at the end of May, the teams come together for the first of many gravel rounds from now to the end of the year. Elfyn and Scott come to this event as the championship leaders with a twenty-point lead over Takamoto and Aaron, whilst the most likely championship challengers, Oliver and Elliott, plus Seb and Vincent are a further fifty-five and sixty-one points further back respectively.
In terms of the best placed Hyundai crews is the French duo of Adrien and Alex who have eighty-nine points and lie in sixth position. They might have the best road position as well throughout Friday’s stages and the Hyundai teams car has shown pace on gravel.
In terms of the stages, this years rally has 323 kilometres over seventeen stages. The longest day in regard of the number of competitive kilometres is Friday with 130 kilometres over six stages. Then Saturday has six stages over 109 kilometres with two of the stages only run once. Finally, Sunday has four stages over 84 kilometres, which includes the longest stage of the whole weekend.
Let’s hear from the drivers.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Elfyn Evans
“To win Rally Japan again was amazing and it rounded off what’s been quite a good first half of the year for us, but we know that the second half can be tough with every rally being on gravel, so everything is still very open in the championship. Greece can be one of the more difficult rallies to open the road, particularly with most of the Friday stages being run only once. But we’ve got some good experience now of being in this position, and we’ve been working hard together with the team to try and improve the feeling and the pace for those conditions. We already made a step forward in Portugal, and we’ll be trying to make the best of the situation again in Greece.”
Takamoto Katsuta
“The Acropolis Rally is a really rough and tough rally for the cars, the tyres and us as crews. Last year, when the rally moved back to the summer, was especially demanding for everyone with the heat. This year the conditions could be similar, so being as fit and prepared as possible is one of the main priorities in the lead up to this rally. It has not been the easiest event for me in the past but working together with the team I have started to find better feeling and pace on these rougher rallies, and I will try my best like always to get a good result.”
Oliver Solberg
“We’ve had some tough results on asphalt recently, but I’m looking forward to putting that behind me and focusing on gravel for the rest of the season, with an exciting mix of rallies coming up. We had a good result in Portugal, finishing second, and hopefully we can build on that in Greece. The Acropolis is a very demanding rally; it’s usually very hot and very rough. It’s another rally we won last year in the Rally2 car, but I’ve never driven it with a Rally1 car before. So, there will be some adapting to do once again, but I will be giving it my best shot like always.”
Sami Pajari
“We have been on a really strong run recently and hopefully we can continue this now that we are going back onto gravel, which is perhaps a more natural surface for me than asphalt anyway. Our performance on gravel in Portugal was really good – one of our best so far – even though we didn’t get a reward for it. The Acropolis is a tough rally, but I’ve done quite well there before – I finished P4 with the Rally2 car two years ago and started with good pace last year until we had to stop with a problem. If we can have a clean run this time, I think we can do well.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Adrien Fourmaux
“I’m really looking forward to Acropolis Rally and the return to gravel. At this event, we’re really trying to avoid any punctures, but also reading the grip and the compressions, with bumps and crests threatening to kick the car off in a different direction. Starting later in the running order will help you with cleaner lines when it’s dry, which is a clear advantage compared to the cars in front cleaning the road and improving the conditions, however there is also more tyre wear and the risk of loose rocks. Our target for the second half of the season is to get some victories to be back on track for the championship fight. Last year we finished third here, which was good, but we can do better. It’s been quite a tough first half of the season due to the amount of tarmac events, where we struggled a bit more, but we are in a good position to be very competitive for the rest of the season.”
Thierry Neuville
“We have a good starting order heading into a run of gravel events, where we know we can be competitive – we proved that last year and in the past. That gives me a real boost of motivation, knowing we’re heading into a rally where we should perform well. There are other factors at play too, like tyre choice and so on, but generally this should be a much more competitive weekend for us. We know what to expect from this event, though these are new roads. Temperature and weather can be tricky here, so while you can build on what you know, you still need to stay sharp. We’re driving in a slightly different area and region, so you can hit stages with sharper stones, looser or more abrasive surfaces, and everything can change quickly. Our goal is clear — we’re going for victory. With our starting order, a competitive car, and a rally where we have always performed well, that is absolutely our target.
Dani Sordo
“Greece is a rally that I love. The stages are brutal with the heat, the rocks and uneven surfaces, but this sort of challenge suits our car and approach as a team. You have to be patient and manage your tyres, because one mistake can cost you everything. We’ve had some great results at Acropolis in the past, particularly in 2022 and 2024, so I come here with a lot of confidence. Now I want to go one better. The target is always the same: bring the car home, help the team in the manufacturers’ fight, and if we can fight for the win, we will. Portugal did not end the way we hoped, so we are looking to put that right next weekend.”
M-Sport Ford WRT
Josh McErlean
“Acropolis is always a tough event. We have a decent road position, so there could be opportunities if we stay out of trouble. It’s nice to turn to gravel again for the remainder of the WRC season!
“It will be a quick turnaround from Donegal, and with plenty of new stages the focus is on a good recce and being well prepared. Hopefully we can put everything together and have a solid weekend for the team.”
Jon Armstrong
“We’re really looking forward to Greece. It’s going to be a significant challenge with the temperatures we’re expecting, and there are a lot of single-pass stages, so having a strong recce will be important. It’s definitely one of the toughest events in rallying.
“If we can take a steady approach, focus on ourselves, and do a good job, then it should be a positive event for us. The boat journey on Thursday night should be good fun as well, so we’re looking forward to something a little different and to getting back onto the gravel after Japan.”
Mārtiņš Sesks
“I’m really excited to take on the Acropolis Rally again. Last year was my first time competing there, and there were a lot of things that were completely new to us. We had to learn the rally as we went, and unfortunately a few things didn’t go our way.
“This year will be interesting as the rally features some new stages and takes us to a different part of Greece. It will be great to explore the country again while tackling another demanding event. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Jourdan Serderidis
“Greece, our homeland, is at the heart of our 2026 programme. We are currently leading the national championship after two rallies, but now our focus turns to the Acropolis Rally, one of the highlights of the WRC season.
“We are back with our M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 car, ready to compete against the world’s best gravel rally drivers. Our goal is to enjoy this demanding event, achieve the best possible result, and continue our fight for the Greek Cup awarded to the highest-placed national driver.
“This year’s event features several new stages, adding an extra level of difficulty. But we enjoy a challenge!”
Romet Jürgenson
“I’m looking forward to heading back to Greece, where we secured the Junior title in 2024. It’s one of those very demanding rallies where you have to think about a lot of factors that maybe aren’t such a big focus at other events.
“Hydration is really important, and you need to keep yourself in good condition to get through three tough days. The same applies to the car and the tyres – you have to manage them carefully and can’t always push at 100 per cent on every stage, otherwise problems can quickly arise.
“Overall, I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always a very enjoyable rally.”
Summary
This is going to be a very challenging three days for the crews and with very likely dry conditions throughout the weekend, it will make the challenge greatest for the championship leaders, Elfyn and Scott. It’s fair to say that the top three into the stages on the first day will likely have the worst of the road conditions as the top level of gravel gets swept from the road and creating the lines for the crews further back.
There will be crews who don’t complete every stage and therefore those who do will likely have that consistent run on everyday meaning they could take a really good result.
The action gets underway with shakedown on Thursday morning (25 June 2026) at one minute past nine UK time and then the first stage, a short super special later in the day at a little after five pm.
