The EKO Acropolis Rally is known for its tough and unpredictable conditions, and this year continues to live up to that reputation. Saturday, Day 3 of the rally, brought more hot and dusty roads, as well as plenty of drama. With just one day left, the competition remains intense.
Morning loop
The day began with Ott Tänak leading the overall standings, followed by Adrien Fourmaux just 3.0 seconds behind. Sébastien Ogier was in third, trailing Tänak by 16.9 seconds. Saturday’s route included six stages: Pavliani, Karoutes, and Inohori, each run twice.
The challenges started early. In the first stage of the day, SS8, Thierry Neuville suffered a slow puncture and had to drive about 12 km with the issue. The final 5 km were especially difficult, and he lost time, finishing 40.8 seconds behind Tänak, who completed the stage in 19:34.1. Neuville’s troubles continued in Stage 9 with damage to his rear left tyre and rim. Meanwhile, Tänak also had damage to his rear spoiler, but it didn’t seem to affect his performance. In fact, he managed to increase his lead over Fourmaux by another 6.7 seconds.
Stage 10 brought more setbacks, this time for Fourmaux. He hit a rock, damaging the rear right wheel and suspension. As a result, he dropped from second to third place, now 57.4 seconds behind Ogier, who moved up to second overall.
Afternoon loop
The afternoon didn’t go smoothly either. In Stage 11, Fourmaux faced more problems when his front left tyre came off the rim. But the biggest issues were for Toyota. Kalle Rovanperä went off the road at 13.3 km into the stage. Though he managed to continue after four minutes, his car stopped again at 18.1 km. Teammate Takamoto Katsuta also went off and got stuck just 600 meters before the stage finish. Both drivers will return on Sunday under Super Rally.
The final two stages of the day were calmer, with no major incidents. Tänak ends Day 3 still in the lead with a total time of 2:56:31.7. Ogier remains second, now 43.6 seconds behind, and Fourmaux is third, trailing Tänak by 1:24.4.
WRC2
In the WRC2 category, Oliver Solberg has had a solid and steady day. He continues to lead with a time of 3:03:28.4. The battle for second, however, place has been close all day. Kajetan Kajetanowicz started Day 3 in second place, with Gus Greensmith only 3 seconds behind. Greensmith passed Kajetanowicz in the first stage, but lost the position again in Stage 10. He quickly regained it in the next stage and finishes the day in second place, 1:37.8 behind Solberg, and just 10 seconds ahead of Kajetanowicz.
With only one day left, the final stages promise more tension and excitement as drivers fight for every second.