BY F.KAHEESI & H.MBAZIIRA,LAMIA GREECE
AFTER dominantly leading day three of the EKO Acropolis Rally of God’s, with winning five of the six stages, could the Estonian keep the lead to the end of the rally today.
Ott Tanak kept pushing throughout the Saturday afternoon stages to ably extend his time lead to +43.6 second against Toyota’s hard chasing Sebastien Ogier.
Ogier believes that though he is 43.6 second off the rally leader, it’s not yet done until the last stage on Sunday.
This year’s EKO Acropolis Rally in terms of total competitive distance, was always expected to be demanding – and it certainly delivered.
Without dramatic changes at the top of the classification, the day’s six stages proved punishing and unforgiving.
Toyota’s Ogier
They required rhythm, clear thinking, and the right calls. Some crews rose to the challenge, others didn’t and Saturday results reflect that.
Ott Tanak refused to rest on his laurels after taking the lead on Friday. He defended it carefully and gradually built it into a commanding advantage.
Confident behind the wheel of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, the Estonian clocked the fastest time in five of the six stages, leaving no room for doubt.
For his teammate Adrien Fourmaux, who started the day in second place overall, things didn’t go as smoothly.
A rock impact on SS10 damaged the rear wheel of his Hyundai i20 N and dropped him down to third, behind Sebastien Ogier.
The eight-time World Champion, having already used many soft tyres on Friday, had to rely on a mix of softs and hards today – a compromise that didn’t allow him to match Tanak’s pace.
Still, Ogier maintained second overall, keeping Toyota’s hopes for victory alive.
However, it was a tough day for the Japanese manufacturer.
During their second pass through Pavliani, two of its four drivers were forced to retire: Kalle Rovanpera due to transmission failure, and Takamoto Katsuta after going off the road and being unable to rejoin.
Elfyn Evans, on the other hand, remains in contention, currently sitting fourth and looking to secure valuable points for both the team and his own championship campaign.
Right behind him is Thierry Neuville, who suffered another puncture today. Nonetheless, he managed to recover and gain positions in the overall standings.
Tomorrow(Sunday), he will have the chance to score additional points during Super Sunday and the Power Stage.
Gregoire Munster completes the top six despite encountering persistent issues throughout the day.
His Ford Puma Rally1’s handbrake failed to operate on any stage, making it particularly challenging in tight sections and costing him valuable time.
The same problem was reported by his M-Sport teammate Joshua McErlean during the afternoon loop.
The retirements among Rally1 crews opened the door for WRC2 contenders to move into the top ten.
Leading the category, Oliver Solberg now ranks seventh in the overall classification while driving his Toyota GR Yaris.
The young Norwegian is managing the pace comfortably, maintaining a gap of over 1.5 minutes to second-placed Gus Greensmith (Skoda Fabia RS).
Behind him, a tight fight is developing between Greensmith and Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Toyota GR Yaris), with only 10 seconds separating them. Not far behind, Yohan Rossel (Citroen C3) has also closed the gap and now sits just 15 seconds behind the Polish driver.
The tough conditions of the EKO Acropolis Rally also impacted the Junior WRC field.
Ali Turkkan held firm against pressure from rising star Mille Johansson – at least for a while.
The young Swede retired due to a mechanical problem, enabling the Turkish driver to establish a comfortable lead that now puts him close to victory, with no need for unnecessary risks on Sunday.
Among Greek crews, Plagos-Kouzionis (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) lead the way, ahead of Karanikolas-Kakavas (Ford Fiesta Rally2).
Previously, Serderidis-Miclotte (Ford Puma Rally1) were forced to retire due to driver heatstroke.
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