Most liked posts in thread: WRC: Acropolis Rally (2012)

Steve · May 18, 2012

jbewley said: ↑

Those spectators are just, plain crazy. I wounder how many have been killed or injured over the years. :nonod:
Click to expand...

You're not wrong but it's a different kind of crazy these days. I understand there were rallies in the past where the fans would crowd so close they would effectively narrow the road because they were trying to touch the cars as they went by. :crazy:

Steve · May 18, 2012

Wrc.com preview: Acropolis Rally

18 May 12

The FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia is back on European soil, well the punishing roads around the Greek coastal town of Loutraki to be precise, for one of the most iconic, yet demanding events of 2012.

Billed as the Rally of Gods, the Acropolis Rally, which runs from 24-27 May, is ranked among the sportâ€™s truly tough tests with rock-strewn passes and searing ambient temperatures placing considerable strain on car and crew alike.

Following the Qualifying Stage over a 6.20-kilometre course on Thursday morning to decide the running order for day one, crews head east to the capital Athens and the famous Zappion for the ceremonial start, before the event proper begins with a 25-kilometre test run late in the evening.

Fridayâ€™s itinerary consists of eight stages over a demanding 12-hour period. With service during the day restricted to two 15-minute remote halts in Itea, the challenge is further increased due to the limited amount of repair work that can be undertaken.

Saturdayâ€™s route of eight stages takes competitors closer to base in the Peloponnese region and includes the new 21-kilometre Ziria stage, which the event organisers describe as â€œvery interestingâ€.

Sunday is a slightly more tame affair with five stages including the 3.97-kilometre New Loutraki Power Stage.

The stages in Greece are characterised by their hard bedrock. Coupled with the traditionally high ground temperatures, tyre wear is at a premium, which requires drivers to balance speed with a degree of caution.

The Acropolis Rally, which covers a competitive distance of 409.47 kilometres, is round six of the main WRC, round four of the Production Car World Rally Championship and the second event of the 2012 WRC Academy season.

So whoâ€™s going to win?
Itâ€™s been four years since Sebastien Loeb claimed the second of his two Acropolis victories. However, a third is a distinct possibility following an impressive start to the season in his Citroen DS3 WRC, winning three of the five rounds run so far. Team-mate Mikko Hirvonen won in Greece in 2009 after Loeb had crashed out and remains firmly in the fight for championship glory this season.

Ford driver Petter Solberg was a winner in Greece in 2004 and while victory has eluded him in recent seasons, a top score next week could narrow Loebâ€™s 18-point advantage.

Absent from Rally Argentina due to injury, Jari-Matti Latvala is back in the second factory Fiesta RS WRC confident heâ€™ll be able to go the distance and put up a fight.

Rising stars Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tanak front the M-Sport Ford squad, while Nasser Al-Attiyah and Thierry Neuville rely on Citroen power in Greece.

Mads Ostberg will be a contender in his Adapta Fiesta. In contrast, Brazil World Rally Teamâ€™s Daniel Oliveira has been tasked with reaching the finish rather than chasing top-10 stage times.

Ostbergâ€™s fellow Norwegian Henning Solberg appears on the entry although his participation remains unclear due to funding issues. Martin Prokop will arrive in Greece on the back of a career-best fourth in Argentina last month.

Armindo Araujo and Paulo Nobre lead the WRC Team MINI Portugal effort in their John Cooper Works, the car of choice for Qatari and category newcomer Abulaziz Al-Kuwari. Spyros Pavlides and Oleksii Tamrazov will also be sampling a new-generation World Rally Car for the first time.

Volkswagen will continue its acclimatisation to the WRC by fielding a brace of Skoda Fabia S2000s last yearâ€™s winner Sebastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen.

Visit WRC.com next week to find out who will be chasing Production Car and WRC Academy glory in Greece.

On this rally last year
Road position was key as Sebastien Ogier claimed a somewhat controversial victory by dropping behind then Citroen team-mate Sebastien Loeb to gain an advantageous starting slot for the final day. Petter Solberg held the lead after day one in his privateer Citroen but was unable to fend off Ogier during Saturdayâ€™s stages. A pacenote issue cost him vital time on the night stage and he settled for fourth behind Fordâ€™s Mikko Hirvonen. A front differential glitch and turbo boost issues wrecked Jari-Matti Latvala bid. He scored a plethora of fastest stage times but had to settle for ninth.

Did you know?
One year after Athens hosted the Olympic Games in 2004, Acropolis organisers got in on the act by running a superspecial stage in the cityâ€™s Olympic Stadium. A capacity crowd watched Sebastien Loeb clock the fastest stage time over the 2.4-kilometre course.

Tyres
Michelin will supply its Latitude Cross tyre in a hard compound with an option supply of soft compound tyres to be used in the event of cold and damp conditions. DMACK will supply its DMG+ tyre.
Click to expand...

Steve · May 18, 2012

Five moments: Acropolis Rally (WRC.com)

11 May 12

The Acropolis Rally is one of the oldest, toughest and roughest rallies in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia. No wonder it has thrown up its fair share of classic moments over the years. Here are five of the most memorable.

1: Markko Martinâ€™s first win, 2003

The Estonian was actually on course for his first win in Greece one year earlier, before two punctures decided otherwise. He got his revenge in 2003 with a consummate victory, which was also the first win for Fordâ€™s cutting-edge Focus RS WRC03.

2: Colin McRaeâ€™s run of success, 2001

The rough roads may not appear to be suited to the hard-charging McRaeâ€™s spectacular style, but it was one of the Scotâ€™s most successful events, where he claimed five wins. In 2001 he led from start to finish, taking his third consecutive victory to lead the world championship.

3: Phil Mills turns mechanic, 2002

In one of the most dramatic running repairs in rally history, Petter Solbergâ€™s co-driver Mills had to reach for the tool kit and tighten their Subaruâ€™s steering wheel while Solberg was still driving on the stage. The duo went on to finish third, despite this minor distraction.

4: Michele Moutonâ€™s finest hour, 1982

With a stunning 13-minute victory, Mouton (who is now WRC manager) closed to within 20 points of championship leader Walter Rohrl - putting her right into contention for the title. She went on to finish second in the final standings that year.

5: Sebastien Loeb crashes out, 2009

Loeb (pictured) had the biggest accident of his career when he crashed out of third place on a sixth gear corner, after sliding wide and clipping a rock. His Citroen rolled six times, denting the Frenchmanâ€™s title charge as well as plenty of bodywork.

Photo: McKlein
Click to expand...

Steve · May 18, 2012

Video from 2011:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbDI4qi99xc]WRC Rally Acropolis Greece 2011 (HD) - YouTube[/ame]

Justa Jim · May 18, 2012

Those spectators are just, plain crazy. I wounder how many have been killed or injured over the years. :nonod:

Spectators

At the 1978 Safari Rally, five by-passers and four spectators were killed in unrelated accidents, both involving non-competitive drivers crashing into competitors.[6]
On the first stage of the 1986 Rally Portugal, Joaquim Santos lost control of his Ford RS200 while trying to avoid spectators on the road, crashing into a "human wall" of spectators, killing three and injuring over thirty.[7] All the factory teams – Audi, Austin Rover, Ford, Lancia, Peugeot and Volkswagen – withdrew from the event.[8]

At the 1995 Rally of the Thousand Lakes, at a special stage Hassi one spectator died when Belgian Bruno Thiry, driving 0-car, ran over her. According to some reports the spectator was unable to hear Thiry's car coming because of the crowd noise and relatively low sound of the car compared to full WRC vehicles.

At the 1996 Rally of the Thousand Lakes, at the famous special stage Harju that took place in the centrum of "Rally Capital" JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤, one spectator died and 36 injured when Danish Kristen Rikhard lost control of his Mitsubishi Lancer due to too high speed and wrong driving line. Rikhard, car number 65, reached the curve at 120 km/h (approximately 75 mph), finally hitting the crowd at 40 km/h although the audience had placed within safe distance to road.[9]

Jim

Steve · May 19, 2012

Is it still dangerous? Yes, very. Here's an example. No spectators injured in this one but it's a very recent rally with drivers in real peril.

Description from AutoGuide.com:

"All forms of motorsports are dangerous, but rally is more so with races sometimes occurring in tight, windy roads in a natural environment. That means trees and lakes are always by a race carâ€™s side, and so are spectators.

Out at the 2012 Mazowiecki Rally, a Renault Clio flipped over and landed into a lake upside-down, trapping both driver and passenger under water. And unlike traditional forms of motorsports, race officials in rally races arenâ€™t everywhere, and canâ€™t be anywhere quickly, which meant driver Patrick Osowiecki and navigator Maciej Wrona were strapped into their bucket seats taking in water.

Thankfully their spectators had no reservations in hopping into the lake to save the driver and passenger. Several fans quickly jumped in helping Osowiecki and Wrona get free from what couldâ€™ve been a worse situation.

Watch the dramatic rescue ..."

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS1DTOabZfA]10 Rajd Mazowiecki 2012 | Wodowanie Renault Clio | Akcja ratunkowa - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · May 19, 2012

Michelle Mouton after winning Portugal was asked how she could drive so fast with spectators lining the roads inches from her car. She replied that you must think of them as trees not people.

Spectators are a strange lot. They are not as crazy as they once were, but the inevitable still happens sometimes with tragic results.

Justa Jim · May 19, 2012

Crashton said: ↑

Michelle Mouton after winning Portugal was asked how she could drive so fast with spectators lining the roads inches from her car. She replied that you must think of them as trees not people.

Spectators are a strange lot. They are not as crazy as they once were, but the inevitable still happens sometimes with tragic results.
Click to expand...

But, as in that case, the spectators seem to help, as well as cause problems. Helpful "trees" perhaps.

Jim

Steve · May 23, 2012

The 21 chosen few (best-of-rallylive.com)

by HervÃ© | 23/05/2012 12:18

The 36 editions of the Acropolis Rally that have counted towards the WRC since 1973 have been won by 21 different drivers. Thatâ€™s a record for the championship. Fordâ€™s score in Greece is 13 victories, which is also a recordâ€¦

For many years, the Acropolis and Safari Rallies were famous for being the toughest events on the calendar. This year still, judging by reports from the crews during recce, the Greek stage are still littered with stones and rocks.

Perhaps thatâ€™s why so few drivers have succeeded in winning the Acropolis more than once. Of the 21 different victors, only 13 have popped the champagne on two or more occasions. Surprisingly, one of the sportâ€™s more flamboyant stars, the late Colin McRae, won the event five times, including a hat-trick between in 2000, 2001 and 2002!

Despite holding practically all the WRC records, SÃ©bastien Loeb was â€˜onlyâ€™ won twice in Greece, from 10 starts. Finns GrÃ¶nholm, Kankkunen and Vatanen can claim the same score, while RÃ¶hrl, Sainz and Biasion figure on the list three times.

In contrast, the Acropolis challenge has frequently favoured Ford. The American giant has taken the top prize 13 times and would dearly like to add a 14th success â€“ its first with the Fiesta RS WRC â€“ this weekend. Subaru has also enjoyed success in Greece and totals five wins. However, Lancia is the only make to have collected a one-two-three-four finish, with Biasion, Ericsson, Fiorio and Alen, in 1988!
Click to expand...

Steve · May 24, 2012

Solberg tops Qualifying Stage in Greece (WRC.com)

24 May 12

Petter Solberg has set the fastest time on the Qualifying Stage to earn the right to select his starting position first for the opening day of the Acropolis Rally.

Driving a Ford World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRC, Solberg and co-driver Chris Patterson completed the 6.20-kilometre test near Loutraki in a time of 4m11.976s.

â€œItâ€™s good to be first, very important in fact,â€ said Solberg. â€œThe car works well and we should be strong for this rally. I feel confident and think I will start further down [the order]. Even when itâ€™s raining it dries very quick when it stops. The best choice is to start further back for sure.â€

Solbergâ€™s Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, back in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia following his recovery from a broken collarbone, took 4m12.074s to complete the test.

â€œThere was one corner when I thought I was in first but I was in second and I pulled third by mistake,â€ said Latvala, who was second fastest. â€œThe engine died just a tiny bit on the uphill but I quickly got it back. We only lost a couple of tenths but after a long time out of the car this was a good boost.â€

Citroenâ€™s Sebastien Loeb was third fastest with a best time of 4m12.702s with M-Sport Fiesta driver Evgeny Novikov fourth quickest in 4m13.018s. Mikko Hirvonen was next up in the second factory Citroen after a half-spin with Thierry Neuville sixth quickest in his Citroen Junior entry.

Mads Ostberg was seventh in his Adapta Fiesta with Ott Tanak eighth, Martin Prokop ninth despite suffering a scare when he briefly went off the road and struck a rock at high-speed. Nasser Al-Attiyah rounded out the top 10 for the Qatar World Rally Team after being slowed by a front-left puncture from early in the stage.

Armindo Araujo was the leading MINI John Cooper Works WRC driver in 12th position, one place behind Brazil World Rally Teamâ€™s Daniel Oliveira.

Rain prior to the start of the stage left road conditions damp with patches of water forming in places. However, crews reported a clean line through the run.

The top 13 crews will select their starting position at 12:30hrs local time.
Click to expand...

Ford aces select lowly Acropolis start positions (WRC.com)

24 May 12

Ford World Rally Team drivers Petter Solberg and Jari-Matti Latvala have selected lowly starting positions for the opening day of the Acropolis Rally, round six of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia.

Solberg was permitted to select his starting position first after going quickest on the Qualifying Stage this morning. In front of a large crowd of fans gathered in the service park in Loutraki, the Norwegian opted to run 13th on the road to benefit from what he considers to be the most advantageous running position due to the road-cleaning effect, which is a common factor on gravel events.

â€œItâ€™s the best position for the cleaning and if it is raining then it will dry very quickly,â€ said Solberg, who is hoping for better grip and braking precision running further down the order in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. â€œWeâ€™re on top form, the team is on top form and the car is on top form. I think this can be my rally now.â€

Eight-time world champion Sebastien Loeb starts 11th for the Citroen Total World Rally Team, one place behind Russian star Evgeny Novikov.

Paulo Nobre will run at the head of the field for WRC Team MINI Portugal. The Brazilian was the last driver to select his starting position after posting the slowest time in the Qualifying Stage.

The full start position selection is as follows:

1: Paulo Nobre (MINI John Cooper Works WRC)

2: Armindo Araujo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC)

3: Daniel Oliveira (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

4: Nasser Al-Attiyah (Citroen DS3 WRC)

5: Martin Prokop (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

6: Ott Tanak (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

7: Mads Ostberg (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

8: Thierry Neuville (Citroen DS3 WRC)

9: Mikko Hirvonen (Citroen DS3 WRC)

10: Evgeny Novikov (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

11: Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3 WRC)

12: Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)

13: Petter Solberg (Ford Fiesta RS WRC)
Click to expand...

Steve · May 24, 2012

WRC Team MINI Portugal Acropolis Rally Update (RallySportLive.com)

By RSL Staff â€“ May 24, 2012

â€˜Itâ€™s Bruno again. A lotâ€™s happened since my last column and the rally hasnâ€™t even started yet!

â€˜Our crews have just completed the Qualifying Stage without any problems, Armindo and Miguel are in a new car they hadnâ€™t tested before so they took the two runs of Free Practice to find a good set-up for the weekend and then headed straight into the Qualifying Stage and choose to run second on the road. Paulo and Edu had a trouble-free and clean run and will set off later today at the front of the pack.

â€˜As you may have heard we had an â€˜interestingâ€™ test at the start of the week. After three runs through the stage, Armindo and Miguel clipped a large rock â€“ typical of the Greek terrain â€“ with the front right wheel of their MINI Countryman John Cooper Works WRC and flipped the car nose over end. It was quite dramatic, but fortunately the crew were unhurt. Having been working with Armindo now for five years, I can honestly say that this is the first time Iâ€™ve ever known him to have an accident like this on a test, but, we all know, thatâ€™s rally! Unfortunately, the car didnâ€™t come out of it as well as the crew â€“ it was a write off. It was action stations as our third car travelled here from Italy overnight arriving on Tuesday and the mechanics and the rest of the team worked night and day to be prepared for scrutineering on Wednesday to make sure we could start the rally without a hiccough.

â€˜Armindo and Miguel went for a check-up before recce and Armindo visited the physio to make sure his back was OK after the impact. They completed recce with no problems, determined to make up for the incident during the rally and focused on making the best pace notes possible â€“ taking care to beware of every rock and mark out cuts where depending on the start order rocks might be revealed if the roads start to be worn away by cars in front of them.

â€˜Meanwhile, Paulo had a great test, drove just over 100km and increased his confidence and feel for the road throughout the day. With Paulo being a big supporter of Erechim Rally in Brazil which finished last weekend, part of his spirit was of course at home with his countrymen. Now heâ€™s here in Greece as focused as ever on increasing the profile of rallying in Brazil and encourage everyone to understand exactly why he loves rally sport so much!

â€˜Last night Armindo had the opportunity to try his very own WRC Team MINI Portugal MINI in the third edition of the WRC video game saga during the pre-launch press event. It was great, he also had a lot of interviews with gaming press from all over Europe giving his feedback to improve the game before itâ€™s release in October.

â€˜After some filming and a photoshoot this morning, the crews are now preparing to go to Athens for the Ceremonial Start where they will take part in a presentation of a one-of-a-kind signed WRC Team MINI Portugal bike alongside the other WRC manufacturers which will be auctioned during the rally to raise money to support the Hellenic Society for Disabled Children. The crews will then head straight to the first stage of the event from Athens.

Watch this space for more updates from WRC Team MINI Portugal, letâ€™s hope for a good start to the Acropolis Rally!â€™
Click to expand...

Steve · May 24, 2012

Video from the shakedown:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I7pe0W5Uwg]Shakedown - 2012 Acropolis Rally of Greece - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 24, 2012

Only one stage today.

SS1: Latvala flies on WRC comeback (WRC.com)

24 May 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS1, Kineta (25.24 kilometres)

Stage description:
By M-Sport Ford Rally Team co-driver Denis Giraudet: â€œLuckily the stage will run in the daylight after the problems with the dust last year when we had the stage at night. But even in the daylight itâ€™s quite challenging. Itâ€™s surprisingly very fast. For half of the stage you feel you are more like in Finland or the Australian forests around Perth with a lot of trees next to the road. Then we have Tarmac for two kilometres but difficult Tarmac because itâ€™s slippery. Then we have a really twisty section to the finish so you really have to be awake for this stage because itâ€™s not so easy.â€

How the action unfolded:
Jari-Matti Latvala has made a sensational return to the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia after going fastest on stage one of the Acropolis Rally, the 25.24-kilometre Kineta test.

The factory Ford driver, who missed the last round in Argentina through injury, edged world champion Sebastien Loeb by 2.8s with Mikko Hirvonen third quickest and Mads Ostberg fourth fastest. â€œI was very equal with Loeb but at the end I seemed to pull out some time at the hairpins,â€ said Latvala. â€œI felt really fast in places.â€

Loeb said: â€œIn some places there is a lot of grip, some places no grip so it is difficult to understand where you can push and where you have to be careful.â€

It was a frustrating start to the Greek round for former winner Petter Solberg who blamed his failure to win the stage on his decision to run soft compound tyres on his factory Fiesta rather than the hard option chosen by his rivals. The Norwegianâ€™s tyres had lost considerable grip by the end of the run, which he completed with the fifth fastest time, 14.6s slower than Latvala.

â€œIt was my decision and I believed in it,â€ said Solberg. â€œI thought it could have been colder, it was just a mistake and I should have listened to the team. Okay thatâ€™s how it is and we learn from that. We are not out of it.â€

Evgeny Novikov said he wasnâ€™t entirely happy with his driving in his M-Sport Fiesta after the Russian admitted to making a few mistakes on his run to the sixth best time.

Ott Tanak, who damaged his Fiestaâ€™s front-right steering arm hitting a small tree during the Qualifying Stage this morning, spun near the stage start but still managed the seventh fastest run.

Martin Prokop, who was eighth fastest, reported a problem with his Fiestaâ€™s power shift before the stage got underway but conceded it didnâ€™t affect him during the test. Nasser Al-Attiyah and Daniel Oliveira both admitted to struggling on the loose stage surface.

Thierry Neuville said he wasnâ€™t happy with his car set-up, pace notes or level of confidence after completing the stage with the ninth fastest time. The Belgian driver said the stage was also rougher than he expected.

Armindo Araujo enjoyed a clean run in his WRC Team MINI Portugal but said running second on the road meant he struggled for grip at times. Team-mate Paulo Nobreâ€™s car ingested significant amounts of dust after a rear door opened during the stage. The Brazilian, running at the head of the field, admitted he struggled to breathe as a result.
Click to expand...

Solberg wasn't kidding about his soft tire choice being a poor decision. Here's all that's left of the tread on one of his rears after only one stage.

Steve · May 25, 2012

After SS2: Latvala (Ford/Michelin) fastest again (best-of-rallylive.com)

by HervÃ© | 25/05/2012 7:34

Finlandâ€™s Jari-Matti Latvala collected his second stage win in Greece and provisionally leads the 2012 Acropolis Rally, 3.2 seconds clear of CitroÃ«n/Michelin rival SÃ©bastien Loeb.

We left Loutraki early this morning, taking a twisty road east along the shore of the Corinthian Gulf which was reddened by the fast-rising sun.

Our picturesque route, lined by flowering laurels, took us past the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean on our way to the end of SS2 (â€˜Aghia Marinaâ€™, 13.80km) which Paulo Nobre started at 6:53am local time.

The stage ended with an impressively steep downhill portion, exactly the sort of terrain the Brazilian hates, except when he goes skiing: â€œIn rallying, I prefer the climbs.â€ His Mini/Michelin team-mate Armindo Araujo beat his time by half a minuteâ€¦

The front of Daniel Oliveiraâ€™s Ford/Michelin showed signs of damage picked up in a spin, while Ott Tanak was the first driver to complete the test in less than 10 minutes, although it takes more than that to bring a smile to the Estonianâ€™s face.

Fellow Ford privateer Mads Ostberg wasnâ€™t pleased with the handling of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC which was carrying a lot of spares: â€œWeâ€™ve got enough parts to change anything on the car, except the engine,â€ the Norwegian informed us.

Despite a spin shortly after the start, Thierry Neuville (CitroÃ«n/Michelin) was happy with his start to the morning. Mikko Hirvonen posted a time of 9m42s but admitted that he had perhaps indulged in too much sliding and his front-right Michelin Latitude Cross H1 effectively seemed a little worn.

SÃ©bastien Loeb reported that he gone too wide through one or two corners, so the fastest time went to Jari-Matti Latvala who posted a 9m38.7s in his Ford/Michelin. After his poor tyre choice yesterday evening, Petter Solberg complained of a handling problem through the right-hand corners.

The next stop for us is the end of SS4, which is only 10km away on the opposite shore of the Corinthian Gulf. But it will probably take us at least two hours to get there!
Click to expand...

Steve · May 25, 2012

SS3: Nothing to choose between leaders (WRC.com)

25 May 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS3, Thiva 1 (23.60 kilometres)

Stage description:
By M-Sport Ford Rally Team co-driver Denis Giraudet: â€œThis is a classic stage and I remember finding a parking place on this stage in 1999 with Didier Auriol when we took a wheel off. Juha Kankkunen also took the wheel off but he was able to finish the stage. It was a very old stone we hit because it was hidden under the grass on the side of the road. It was the end of our rally then but itâ€™s a very nice stage and we have something like 60 junctions so plenty of opportunities for spectators.â€

How the action unfolded:

The extremely close action continued at the front of the Acropolis Rally field on Thiva, as Jari-Matti Latvala, Sebastien Loeb and Petter Solberg set times just 0.2s apart despite light rain making the latter part of the 23.6-kilometre stage increasingly tricky.

Ford World Rally Team driver Latvala was the stage winner, beating Citroen DS3 WRC man Loeb by a tenth of a second to take his rally lead up to 3.3s.

"At the end, the last two kilometres, it's been maybe raining at some point so it's a bit slippery and muddy in some corners, so it was a little bit scary, but we're okay," said Latvala.

The Finn's team-mate Solberg was back on the pace and his time 0.2s off Latvala brought him up to within 3.2s of third-placed Mikko Hirvonen in the second factory Citroen. But despite his speed, Solberg remained disconcerted by his car's handling.

"It's not very good to drive, it's really difficult to keep it perfect into right hand corners. Left hand corners, I'm okay. I'm trying my best," he said.

Hirvonen was one of several drivers to carry two spare tyres and run a crossover mixture of hard and soft compounds to try and deal with the unpredictable weather, but his team-mate Loeb committed to dry weather tactics.

"I didn't expect rain. I hope I'm not wrong," he said. "There was not a big difference between the two choices, so I took one spare for the wet and it's been okay up to now."

Behind the leaders, Mads Ostberg (Adapta Ford) sustained a puncture five kilometres from the finish but barely lost any time and is still sixth between M-Sport Ford drivers Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tanak.
Click to expand...

Steve · May 25, 2012

Loeb leads wide open Acropolis battle (MaxRally.com)

25th May 2012

Four stages into the 2012 Acropolis Rally, and just 4.5s covers the top three after a topsy-turvy morning of changing weather in Greece.

At first it looked like Jari-Matti Latvala and Sebastien Loeb were a class apart. They edged away from third-placed Mikko Hirvonen while matching each other almost tenth for tenth, although Latvala did manage to edge his Ford into a 3.3-second lead by the end of SS3.

That stage had seen just 0.2s covering Latvala, Loeb and Petter Solberg's times, but it was the muddy patches of SS4, Elikonas, that had the biggest effect on the order.

One particularly treacherous section saw Ott Tanak, Hirvonen and Latvala all sliding off course, costing each of them a few seconds.

That was enough to drop Latvala 1.2s behind Loeb, who found himself in the rally lead despite having been pretty disgruntled with his pace on SS4. And you could understand why, as Loeb set an equal time to team-mate Hirvonen despite the Finn having made his stage rather longer by slithering off into a field for a while...

Solberg had been puzzled to find that his Ford was handling strangely in right hand corners on SS2 and SS3, but still managed to match the leaders on the latter. And when his Ford found the mud of stage four, it really came alive. Solberg surged to a stage victory with a 9.7s advantage, bringing him right into the lead fight in third place, only 4.5s off Loeb.
Click to expand...

Steve · May 25, 2012

SS5: Citroens set the pace (WRC.com)

25 May 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS5, Bauxites 1 (23.17 kilometres)

Stage description:
By M-Sport Ford Rally Team co-driver Denis Giraudet: â€œItâ€™s a very fast stage with the average speed not so far from 100kph. You are going up and there is fantastic scenery. You can still see some snow on the mountains and at the same time you can see some sea. Itâ€™s quite amazing and on this stage itâ€™s fast so you have a little time to look at the scenery. Itâ€™s a very stony ground - where there are mines and lots of big tricks - and this makes it very challenging. It was on this stage where Evgeny [Novikov] became the youngest driver to score a fastest stage time in the WRC when he was driving for Citroen in 2009.â€

How the action unfolded:

Citroen set first and second fastest times on the first run through the Acropolis Rally's Bauxites stage, as Sebastien Loeb pulled away in the lead and Mikko Hirvonen moved right back into the podium fight.

While the Ford World Rally Team chose to take two spare tyres in Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg's cars, Citroen went for just one, and saw its drivers go five seconds quicker than their arch-rivals.

It was Hirvonen who claimed the stage win by 1.1s, closing his gap to third-placed Solberg to just 1.2s.

Loeb was able to extend his lead over Latvala to 5.7s, with the Finn feeling a set-up change may be necessary.

"I'm not happy with the car on the hard surface," said Latvala. "I feel like I can't get the grip in the first part of the stages. We need to change the set-up to make the tyres warm up."

Evgeny Novikov remains fifth, though Mads Ostberg is gaining on him and is now just 5.9s behind, despite the Adapta man feeling he is not driving well.

"When I'm not confident with the car and I'm still pushing, I'm not clever. At the moment, I'm not very smart," said Ostberg.
Click to expand...

Steve · May 25, 2012

SS6: Rock scare for Solberg (WRC.com)

25 May 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS6, Drossohori (22.00 kilometres)

Stage description:
By M-Sport Ford Rally Team co-driver Denis Giraudet: â€œThis stage is climbing with lots of slow corners so there is a lot of wheelspin. This can also destroy your tyres so you have to take it a little bit easy and not push too hard. But itâ€™s not easy for a driver to do this.â€

How the action unfolded:

Petter Solberg is concerned that he may have damaged his Ford Fiesta RS WRC on stage six of the Acropolis Rally, which saw Sebastien Loeb pull further away in the lead.

While Loeb took his first stage win of the weekend for Citroen and stretched his overall lead to 10.1 seconds, Solberg fell from third to fourth following an impact with a rock. The incident cost him eight seconds and caused a punture, but the Norwegian was more concerned about potential propshaft damage.

"I haven't gone wide or anything, but over a crest was a rock," said Solberg. "I don't know what's happened. It hit in the middle of the car."

It was a tough stage for Ford, with Solberg's team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala dropping a further 4.4s to Loeb in their battle for victory.

"When it's muddy and soft, I don't like the car," said Latvala. "Somehow the set-up is not quite right now."

Like most of the field, Loeb was running hard tyres for the Drossohori stage, and felt that the level of mud in places was tough for his choice of rubber.

"It's really tricky, very muddy and we have a hard tyre, so the grip is not extremely good," said Loeb. "But I did a good stage, no mistakes in those muddy places."

The only frontrunner who guessed right on tyres was Citroen's rising star Thierry Neuville. The young Belgian ran two softs in a crossover pattern and was second quickest, drawing him to within 8s of Ott Tanak in their battle for seventh.

With Solberg's delay, Mikko Hirvonen is back up to third overall, 15s behind Loeb and 4.9s behind Latvala. Evgeny Novikov continues to fend off Mads Ostberg for fifth.
Click to expand...

Steve · May 25, 2012

Thanks to seasonal rains the Greek rally is (so far) NOT the dusty, rocky mess it usually is...it's a muddy, rocky (and occasionally dusty) mess. :biggrin5:

Steve · May 25, 2012

Friday afternoon update. MINI drivers are 12th Araujo, 14th Alkuwari, 16th Nobre.

SS7: Drama for M-Sport duo (WRC.com)

25 May 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS7, Bauxites 2 (23.17 kilometres)

Stage description:
By M-Sport Ford Rally Team co-driver Denis Giraudet: â€œItâ€™s a very fast stage with the average speed not so far from 100kph. You are going up and there is fantastic scenery. You can still see some snow on the mountains and at the same time you can see some sea. Itâ€™s quite amazing and on this stage itâ€™s fast so you have a little time to look at the scenery. Itâ€™s a very stony ground - where there are mines and lots of big trucks - and this makes it very challenging. It was on this stage where Evgeny [Novikov] became the youngest driver to score a fastest stage time in the WRC when he was driving for Citroen in 2009.â€

How the action unfolded:

M-Sport Ford drivers Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tanak both lost ground on stage seven of the Acropolis Rally, as Ford World Rally Team man Jari-Matti Latvala trimmed a little out of Sebastien Loeb's overall lead.

Tanak's delay was the most costly, as he went off the road and damaged his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. The Estonian had been running seventh, but lost over eight minutes in the incident.

"We made a correction on the pacenotes durng the previous [running of the stage] and we made it to the wrong place, the corner before, and we were too fast," Tanak confessed. "We went off and came back on, but we got a puncture, and then bent the suspension."

Novikov dropped just over a minute with a mechanical issue, dropping from fifth to seventh, behind Mads Ostberg (Adapta Ford) and Thierry Neuville (Citroen Junior).

"We had a problem with the engine. It's not a misfire, maybe something with the turbo, I don't know," said Novikov.

Up front, Latvala took the stage win by 0.7s from Loeb, bringing the gap to the Citroen down to 9.4s.

"Okay, there is quite a distance to Loeb, but now we are going in the right way," said Latvala, who was happier with his car's behaviour after changes at service.

Loeb had finished the stage close behind the delayed Novikov and Tanak, but said it had not cost him any time.

"It was okay, I saw a little bit of dust. I heard Tanak had stopped, so I was thinking he had started just before me," said Loeb. "I didn't lose any time with it."

Just behind the lead battle, Petter Solberg's repaired Ford was slighlty quicker than Mikko Hirvonen's Citroen, leaving them a second apart in the fight for third. Solberg said fixing the damage from his stage six impact had not been too difficult after all, even with the limitations of remote service.

"The impact knocked the rear diff up into the subframe and the propshaft was touching the subframe," Solberg explained.

"We'd lost some bolts but the boys fixed it and we got a spacer in to put some space between the subframe and the diff. None of this was a problem but if we hadn't put the spacer in, it might've been."
Click to expand...

SS8: Solberg reclaims third place (WRC.com)

25 May 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS8, Elikonas 2 (19.89 kilometres)

Stage description:
By M-Sport Ford Rally Team co-driver Denis Giraudet: â€œItâ€™s a very old stage and we used it as a test stage with Citroen and Peugeot many times. Itâ€™s very rough and tough and for the second time around, for the tyres, it will be a disaster. Itâ€™s very difficult but at the same time itâ€™s beautiful. I would say this stage is the heart of the Acropolis Rally.â€

How the action unfolded:

Petter Solberg reclaimed third place from Mikko Hirvonen on stage eight of the Acropolis Rally.

Firmly back on the pace after his stage six scare, Solberg was quickest on the repeat of the Elikonas stage, and his pace coupled with a disappointing time for his Citroen rival saw the Ford not just take third place overall, but pull nearly eight seconds clear of Hirvonen, who has not been happy with his car's handling this afternoon.

But although Ford could celebrate reclaiming third, the advantage remains with Citroen in the outright lead battle.

Jari-Matti Latvala had trimmed a few fractions from Sebastien Loeb's lead on the preceding stage and looked like he was set to make greater inroads on Elikonas, only for Loeb to respond with a charge through the final kilometres after the split times alerted him to Latvala's progress.

"I was pushing hard. I saw Petter and Jari-Matti taking a bit of time, so I pushed really, really hard at the end of the stage. If I could do more, I'd do more. It's flat-out," Loeb declared.

Latvala ended up dropping 0.8s to Loeb, to his frustration.

"I thought I was driving well, but I'm a bit disappointed," he said.

Behind the leaders, there were myriad dramas in the rest of the World Rally car field.

Fifth-placed Mads Ostberg is nursing a driveshaft he feels is on the brink of failing in his Adapta Ford, while sixth position man Thierry Neuville said his Citroen Junior-entered DS3 WRC was also developing a transmission issue near the end of the stage.

Evgeny Novikov managed to fix the turbo issue on his M-Sport Ford before the stage, only for a loose gear selector to cause further time loss on stage eight. The Russian's team-mate Ott Tanak had to retire on the road section due to the damage his car sustained on the previous stage.
Click to expand...

I think the timing system computer must have had a hiccup because this article says Hirvonen had a puncture but the official timing says he had a great stage and jumped from 4th to 1st...

SS9: Latvala keeps Loeb on his toes (WRC.com)

25 May 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS9, Thiva 2 (23.60 kilometres)

Stage description:
By M-Sport Ford Rally Team co-driver Denis Giraudet: â€œThis is a classic stage and I remember finding a parking place on this stage in 1999 with Didier Auriol when we took a wheel off. Juha Kankkunen also took the wheel off but he was able to finish the stage. It was a very old stone we hit because it was hidden under the grass on the side of the road. It was the end of our rally then but itâ€™s a very nice stage and we have something like 60 junctions so plenty of opportunities for spectators.â€

How the action unfolded:

Jari-Matti Latvala reduced Sebastien Loeb's Acropolis Rally lead to 6.5s at the end of Friday's action in Greece.

The Ford man's stage win on the second run through Thiva saw him beat Loeb by 3.7s, as the Citroen driver struggled slightly with visibility as numerous delayed cars ahead kicked up dust.

Latvala's team-mate Petter Solberg also took time out of Loeb on Thiva, and heads for the overnight break 18.7s off the lead.

In the second Citroen, fourth-placed Mikko Hirvonen lost time with a puncture - which he suspected was a result of some excursions while blinded by dust.

"There was so much dust, I missed a corner completely and went wide. We went off a couple of times, just wide and hitting banks," he said. "Maybe one of those caused the puncture."

The dust ahead was largely created by Mads Ostberg and Thierry Neuville, both of whom had issues on the stage. Ostberg went off the road, losing around three minutes, while Neuville struggled with a broken driveshaft and dropped five minutes as he grappled with a new rear-wheel-drive-only Citroen DS3 WRC.

Ostberg was frustrated both with himself and with the spectators he had hoped would help get his Adapta Ford back on the road.

"I was understeering quite a lot and still I tried to push," said Ostberg. "We were not far off the road, not a bad place at all, but we just got stuck and it took quite a lot of time to get people to help us. They were more interested in taking pictures."

Ostberg and Neuville's issues mean Evgeny Novikov (M-Sport Ford) and Martin Prokop (Czech Ford) move into the top six.
Click to expand...

Forums

Most liked posts in thread: WRC: Acropolis Rally (2012)

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Justa Jim Well-Known Member
Lifetime Supporter

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Crashton Club Coordinator

Justa Jim Well-Known Member
Lifetime Supporter

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Useful Searches

Most liked posts in thread: WRC: Acropolis Rally (2012)

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Justa Jim Well-Known Member Lifetime Supporter

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Crashton Club Coordinator

Justa Jim Well-Known Member Lifetime Supporter

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Justa Jim Well-Known Member
Lifetime Supporter

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Justa Jim Well-Known Member
Lifetime Supporter

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator