Sebastien Ogier leads as puncture lottery shakes up leaderboard

Sebastien Ogier has moved into the lead of Acropolis Rally Greece regardless of being amongst a number of World Rally Championship crews to select up punctures on a brutal Friday morning.

Eight-time world champion Ogier accomplished the morning loop with a 6.1s lead over Hyundai’s Ott Tanak, with Adrien Fourmaux in third 14.4s adrift.

Ogier took a shared in a single day lead with Tanak into Friday’s tough gravel phases after final evening’s Athens tremendous particular. Ogier set a blistering time in stage two, regardless of being second on the street, earlier than dropping to 3rd because the street cleansing impact took maintain in stage three, which helped Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, beginning fifth, to march into 4.2s lead over Fourmaux.

Nevertheless, the leaderboard underwent a shake up within the second go via the Aghii Theodori stage, that hosted the second take a look at in searing temperatures. The rutted roads uncovered loads of bedrock rising the danger of punctures that crews had anticipated would affect the rally given the phases are a lot rougher than earlier years as a result of a chronic interval of dry climate.

Six of the Rally1 crews suffered from both puncture or injury to the tyres in stage 4. Neuville was impacted essentially the most as a front-left failure price him the rally lead. The reigning world champion elected to press on as a substitute of adjusting it and managed to succeed in the stage finish having misplaced 39.5s.

It was sufficient to drop Neuville from the result in sixth general as Ogier moved again into the lead after topping the occasions in stage 4, regardless of shedding his entrance left tyre in direction of the tip of the stage.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Staff Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photograph by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport

“Truthfully for the time being there isn’t a drama, we misplaced 39s and we have to goal an excellent street place for tomorrow and that’s the solely factor we are able to do. If luck isn’t on our facet we gained’t be capable to make it occur,” Neuville informed Motorsport.com.

“There’s a huge threat of puncturing so it’s the similar for everybody. It’s a lottery, all of the tyres are broken.

“Hanging mud was an issue this morning and we might see we have been shedding a while. It’s a downside we all know however we simply preserve appearing as whether it is nothing.”

Contemplating his street place, Ogier declared his begin to the rally as “excellent” regardless of the puncture.

“I am more than pleased. It has been an ideal begin for us. I’m actually proud of my driving and the way we’ve managed it. It was very tough within the final stage however it’s only a style of what’s to come back,” Ogier informed Motorsport.com.

“Fortunately the puncture got here 200 metres from the stage end, so we didn’t lose any time.”

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta was the primary to select up a puncture in stage two and was rapidly adopted by M-Sport pair Josh McErlean and Martins Sesks. Katsuta and McErlean misplaced two minutes stopping to alter wheels whereas Sesks continued on his deflated rubber, shedding 1m33s. 9 WRC2 runners have been compelled to cease with tyre points.

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photograph by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool

The second go of the stage supplied much more torture for the tyres as championship chief Elfyn Evans, Tanak, Sami Pajari, McErlean and his M-Sport team-mate Gregoire Munster picked up punctures or tyre injury.

Fourmaux, who gained stage three, was among the many few to keep away from tyre hassle having completed his greatest to attempt to keep away from the roughest sections of the phases. The Frenchman is hopeful that he’ll obtain time again from the officers after getting caught within the mud of a delayed Katsuta in stage two.

“Within the final one I made a decision to handle the tough elements as a result of the street was destroyed so I used to be actually cautious avoiding rocks and going outdoors of the road. I used to be shedding time nevertheless it was okay, that is how I wish to handle it,” Fourmaux informed Motorsport.com.

Heading into the afternoon phases Toyota’s Pajari held fourth [+27.5s] forward of Kalle Rovanpera, who struggled to seek out the stability in his GR Yaris [+32.4s].

Evans discovered the going robust opening there street earlier than struggling a steering challenge attributable to an affect, which left the championship chief in seventh, with Munster the highest M-Sport runner in eighth. Oliver Solberg loved a trouble-free run to prime the WRC2 subject in ninth.