The Acropolis Rally, the penultimate round of the 2024 WRC, will officially kick off tomorrow with the first stage and the first 6 of the 15 scheduled special stages, but this morning it already offered a taster of what will be one of the great challenges for this year’s world championship titles.
On the 3.62-kilometer course called Lygaria. Takamoto Katsuta set the fastest time in the second of two runs, stopping the clock at 2’39″1.
The Japanese driver was the best placed Toyota driver, ahead of all three Hyundai i20 N Rally1 cars fielded by the Alzenau-based team this weekend.
Katsuta was 6 tenths faster than Ott Tanak, who also set his best time on the second of two passes made in practice. This was also done by all the other drivers at the wheel of a Rally1.
Seven tenths behind the 2019 world champion is the second Hyundai i20 N Rally1, driven by Dani Sordo, while another seven tenths behind the Torrelavega native is the World Championship leader, Thierry Neuville, who just this morning was able to announce the annual renewal of his contract with the Korean manufacturer also for 2025.
Neuville knows well that in Greece and Chile – two very difficult and treacherous rallies due to the rough terrain of their stages – he will have to try to survive and lose as few points as possible to Sébastien Ogier – sixth today at 1″5 behind him – but also to Ott Tanak and Elfyn Evans who are chasing him.
Meanwhile, the Top 5 was completed by the first Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid, driven by Adrien Fourmaux, 6 tenths slower than Ogier. Seventh was Gregoire Munster, although far behind the other drivers at the wheel of a Rally1.
Elfyn Evans did worse. The Welshman from Toyota Gazoo Racing signed the ninth time and was by far the slowest of the drivers on Rally1. It is clear that we are only talking about the Shakedown, so none of what we saw has any real value for the classification. The game gets tough, but it will only start tomorrow morning.
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