Sébastien Ogier leads Acropolis Rally Greece after opening super‑special

The 2026 Acropolis Rally of Greece, the eighth round of the World Rally Championship, opened with a 1.86‑km super‑special in the Ellinikon Sports Park near Athens on 25 June. Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) posted the fastest time of 1:38.22, securing the lead. He was followed by teammate Takamoto Katsuta (+1.03 s) and Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville (+1.14 s). Ogier said, “The true rally starts tomorrow, but being in Greece is a pleasure – it’s a historic rally.”

Earlier that day, Neuville had been fastest in the shakedown, beating Ogier by 0.1 s. The event features 12 Rally1 cars – five Toyotas, three Hyundais and four M‑Sport Ford Puma entries – along with a full Rally2 and Rally3 programme. Drivers include Elfyn Evans, Oliver Solberg, Sami Pajari, Dani Sordo and others. Conditions are expected to be demanding: rough gravel, temperatures above 40 °C and a ferry transfer from Corinth to Itea before the first long gravel stage on Friday.

The rally comprises 17 special stages covering roughly 323 km, testing both driver skill and vehicle durability. With Toyota dominant early in the season and Hyundai looking to close the gap, the Acropolis round will be pivotal in shaping the championship battle.