Most liked posts in thread: WRC: Acropolis Rally

Steve · Jun 1, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieri85abJIE]Leg 1 - 2013 WRC Acropolis Rally of Greece - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jun 2, 2013

Acropolis triumph for â€˜Grandadâ€™ Latvala (best-of-rallylive.com)

02/06/2013 2:42 pm

Volkswagen/Michelinâ€™s Jari-Matti claimed the eighth world class win of his career today in Greece. The sure-footed Finn led from SS4 to beat Spaniard Dani Sordo (CitroÃ«n/Michelin) by the handsome margin of 1m50.0s. Neuvilleâ€™s patience was rewarded with third place for Ford/Michelin, while the three Power Stage bonus points went to the championship leader SÃ©bastien Ogier (VW/Michelin).

Jari-Matti Latvala, 28, may not have been the oldest WRC driver in Greece this weekend, since Al Attiyah, Hirvonen, Sordo and Ogier were all born before the Finn. Even so, along with Hirvonen, the Polo R WRC driver has the highest number of Acropolis Rally appearances under his belt, 10, plus 123 WRC starts. And that experience was clearly one of the ingredients that helped him to forge his success today in Loutraki, near Corinth.

While many of his rivals suffered mechanical setbacks or crashes early on, he produced the necessary blend of speed and mechanical sympathy to emerge in first place on Saturday morningâ€™s SS4 before putting space between his VW and the CitroÃ«n of chaser Dani Sordo. The Spaniard did not have the resources to respond and Latvala was able to cruise to his first victory with the German make (and his first since last Septemberâ€™s RallyGB) with zero pressure on his shoulders.

â€œThis victory feels amazing after my tough start to the season,â€ he beamed as he punched air on the last stageâ€™s finish line. â€œIn 2003, Greece was the second WRC event of my career, so itâ€™s great to have won it at last after 10 years!â€

In contrast to Latvala and Sordo, Thierry Neuville (Ford, +2m14.1s), 24, was one of the youngest drivers on the event and, like VWâ€™s Andreas Mikkelsen, had only competed here once before, in 2012. Even so, the Belgian was one of only four drivers to stay clear of trouble and his maturity was rewarded with his second podium of the season (after Mexico). It was a polished performance which will force many of those who believed him to be too hot-headed to reconsiderâ€¦

Mikkelsen, 23, recovered from repeated braking issues on his Polo to clinch a career-best fourth overall (+3m55.1s), helped by a score of three fastest stage times, all on Sunday. Meanwhile, Dakar expert Nasser Al Attiyah took care of his Fiesta WRC to claim a safe fifth place.

All the other expected front-runners were delayed by a variety of misfortunes and were simply happy to put this yearâ€™s Acropolis Rally behind them and start focusing on Rally Italia (June 20-22).

Ostberg, Hirvonen, Prokop and Novikov rounded off the top nine, while Ogier was a lowly 10th overall after three days that must have reminded him of his 2012 campaign in the Skoda, especially since his championship lead was under no threat this weekend. After the electrical problem that put him out of contention on Fridayâ€™s SS1, he was at least able to look forward to the chance of salvaging some bonus points on the Power Stage. Despite the handicap of running first on the road, he was effectively fastest over the 31.4km test, ahead of the hapless Evgeny Novikov and Mikkelsen.
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Kubica secures first WRC 2 victory (Racer.com)

June 02, 2013

Robert Kubica claimed the biggest success of his rallying career so far as he won the WRC 2 class on the Acropolis Rally.

The ex-Formula 1 driver had shown great pace on his European Rally Championship and World Rally Championship outings so far, but had struggled to turn that speed into results. In Greece he dominated his division from the outset, and was as high as ninth overall before delayed top-class cars pushed him back to 11th.

"Finally, after a disappointing time with my mistakes and car failures when we didn't manage to bring anything home, this is a great day. We have moved forward," said Kubica.

"These conditions were completely opposite to what I was used to for the last 20 years but we came here and performed in a good way."

Kubica emphaszed that he still felt he was at the bottom of his development curve in rallying.

"I know I have to learn a lot and for sure over the next rallies I'll improve even more," he said. "There is still a long way to go to the level I'd like to be."

This article originally appeared in Autosport.com
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Steve · Jun 3, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2LQYw6dazA]SlowMotion Special - WRC Acropolis Rally 2013 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 30, 2013

Acropolis roads: the lowdown (WRC.com)

30 May 13

Thursday afternoon and the drivers have almost completed the pre-event recce of the Acropolis Rally stages.

Here at wrc.com we have the lowdown on the roads, courtesy of WRC televisionâ€™s location director, Steve Turvey, who has driven the entire route to seek out the best camera positions.

Turvey is a former co-driver and was an integral part of Richard Burnsâ€™ championship-winning team in 2001 as one half of the Britonâ€™s gravel crew.

Wrc.com asked him for his thoughts on this yearâ€™s conditions and what we should look out for over the three days of competition.

Q. Steve, How are the stages looking?

ST: â€œThe organisers have done a great job of grading the roads, but the ground here tends to be soft, so they do cut up. It doesnâ€™t bake hard like you might expect. Itâ€™s sand on top of rock in many places.â€

Q: The rally kicks off on Friday evening with the 47km Kineta-Pissia followed by a 26km stage run in darkness. What can the drivers expect?

ST: "Itâ€™s going to be a rough start because the surface for the first two stages is so soft. Even after the recce the road was damaged and there were lots of rocks everywhere [pictured]. Fridayâ€™s second stage [Kineta] is essentially a repeat of the opening 26km of SS1, and I think it will be in a real mess by the time the cars get there. Expect lots of big stones uncovered, ruts forming and rocks littered off the racing line.

â€œIf there is little or no wind on the night stage, I expect hanging dust will cause visibility problems. The cars will start this one at four-minute intervals â€“ up from the normal two minutes â€“ but this might not be enough. The problem with the dust is that it accumulates, getting worse and worse with each passing car.â€

Q: So, first on the road is the best place to be to avoid the dust?

ST:â€œYes, but itâ€™s also the worst place to be for grip on the loose gravel. Road position is going to be very interesting here. If itâ€™s not windy, do you risk going first on the road for the first stage and get the least dust on the second, or do you drop back a bit and get the cleaner road but risk the dust in the darkness? Thatâ€™s going to make qualifying interesting. In hanging dust even one place in the start order will make a big difference.â€

Q. Saturdayâ€™s four stages are based in a different area, west of Loutraki. How do they differ to Fridayâ€™s?

ST:â€œThey are more mountainous, with lots of hairpin corners, but they are also extremely quick. The surface is generally harder that Fridayâ€™s and features plenty of bedrock and loose stones. Most of the stages have a smooth part and a rough part. The rough part tends to be uphill when the cars are scrabbling for grip. Dust shouldnâ€™t be a problem because it tends to be windy in the mountains. The altitude - up to 1,600 metres on SS6 and SS10 - should bring some cooler temperatures too.â€

Q. Is there one stage on Saturday that stands out?

ST: â€œZiria is the one to watch. Itâ€™s used twice as SS6 and SS10 and is so fast the cars are going to leave our camera helicopter behind. It starts off with a climb up a mountain, levels off and then goes flat out. Itâ€™s not the roughest stage, although there are still lots of loose stones about. Organisers have put in a couple of man-made chicanes in an effort to slow things down a bit.â€

Q: And how about Sundayâ€™s stages?

ST: â€œMore soft roads and rutted conditions. Especially on the Loutraki stage, which is run twice as SS12 and the event closing Power Stage. This road uses sections of the Kineta-Pissia test from Friday, so expect these sections to be very rutted.â€

Q. How are the tyres going to cope?

ST: "The amount of sharp bedrock and flinty stones mean that punctures will inevitably be an issue. One of the biggest problems is the ruts which can squeeze sharp stones onto the tyre wall. Punctures aside, tyre wear should be okay but most crews will plan to fit two fresh tyres after the Ghymno test on Saturday.â€

[Click here to watch our exclusive video feature about tyres and the Acropolis Rally.]
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Steve · May 30, 2013

Acropolis Rally: five reasons to get excited (MaxRally.com)

by Graham Lister / 30th May 2013

The waiting is almost over. After almost a month off, the WRC is back and itâ€™s back on one of the most demanding and legendary events of the lot â€“ the Acropolis Rally (not â€˜the Rally Greeceâ€™, Volkswagen). MAXRALLY is excited and this is why.

1: Ogier is backâ€¦
Following a far from sluggish performance on the streets of Monte Carlo last week, where he was contesting the Porsche Supercup event, Sebastien Ogier is back doing what he does best: driving rally cars pretty damn quickly. Ogier incurred the wrath of Sebastien Loeb when he won in Greece two years ago by slowing on the final stage of day two to run behind the world champion on the last day. Providing his Polo doesnâ€™t falter on the punishing terrain, Ogier will take another important step to a deserved maiden world title.

2: â€¦and so is Kubica (on gravel that is)
Far from putting his feet up since his last WRC appearance in Portugal â€“ heâ€™s starred on two rounds of the excellent European championship during that time â€“ Polandâ€™s only grand prix winner, Robert Kubica (pictured), will make a welcome return to world duty in Greece when he will add another dimension to the struggling WRC 2 category, which might be strong in terms of numbers but needs more consistent frontrunners to really sparkle.

3: Thereâ€™s no Kosciuszko
Letâ€™s get one thing straight here: MAXRALLY likes Michal Kosciuszko and what he does behind the wheel. However, his late withdrawal from the Acropolis isnâ€™t all-bad as it means there will be no more ill-conceived, painful, cringe-worthy, noise-ridden etc. press releases from Motorsport Italia. At that really is something to celebrate.

4: Night stages return
Running at night on hot gravel rallies, when thereâ€™s little or no breeze to disperse the hanging dust clouds is a driverâ€™s nightmare and that was certainly the case on the Acropolis in 2011. But like them or not, night stages add another twist, not to mention a big test although they ruin Fridayâ€™s dinner plans. SS2, Kineta, goes live at 2126, which is Mythos time in MAXRALLY land.

5: Step forward car number 85
Loutrakiâ€™s fastest bar owner â€“ or ex-bar owner if stories are true that he sold his business to pay for his ride in a Fiesta RS WRC two years ago â€“ Lambros Athanassoulas returns to his home round of the world championship in a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer. Ralliart Italy, which knows a thing or two about running fast Lancers, will prepare the car. And while Athanassoulas wonâ€™t be eligible for WRC 2 points, heâ€™ll certainly trouble the bulk of the category regulars.
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Re #3, Kosciuszko decided to switch from Motorsport Italia to M-Sport and therefore will be driving a Fiesta. For some reason he has to sit out this rally, something contractual I imagine. This also means there's now no one driving a MINI in WRC. There are, however, two MINIs listed for WRC-2 this weekend.

Steve · May 31, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi6UCHWwfzM]Shakedown - 2013 WRC Acropolis Rally of Greece - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 31, 2013

Apparently conditions on the road today really suck, and it isn't even raining! Many competitors with damage during the first stage, others slowing because they're hearing the damage reports and because of the lame cars they're passing in the stage.

Here's a fantastic shot of Kubica on the fly in the Shakedown stage. Looks like fun!

Steve · May 31, 2013

Q&A: Robert Kubica (WRC.com)

31 May 13

After impressing on his WRC debut at Rally de Portugal, Formula One star Robert Kubica is back for more this weekend at the Acropolis Rally.

The Pole will drive his Citroen DS3 RRC in the World Championship support category, WRC 2, where he will go up against a strong field of 17 entries that includes championship leader Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (Fiesta RRC) and the man who dominated in Portugal, Esapekka Lappi (Skoda Fabia S2000).

After Thursdayâ€™s shakedown, Kubica talked exclusively to wrc.com about the Acropolis challenge ahead and how his switch to rallying was going.

Q: What did you think of the Acropolis stages when you drove them on the recce?

RK: â€œWell, I knew Greece is a special and demanding rally, but when I went to the recce I said, wow, this is much more than I expected. I didnâ€™t expect the stages to be so varied. They were twisty, or narrow, or rough with big stones. Some were very soft and will become more like off-road after a few passes with huge lines [ruts]. Itâ€™s difficult to describe, but what I saw at shakedown was also quite amazing. It will be a tough rally, definitely tougher than I thought before coming here, but a good experience for me. Iâ€™m coming from flat, smooth circuits, so to see big rocks and big lines where the car is bottoming out is new and I have to get used to it.â€

Q: How was shakedown?

RK: â€œSo-so, Iâ€™d say. I donâ€™t know, it was okay, but the performance was not ideal. We will see, but the rally is a different story. Itâ€™s going to be a big challenge for me and the important thing is to get to the finish and to do that we will have to take care of the car. Itâ€™s the first time that Iâ€™m starting a rally with this attitude - to take care of something. Normally, on the circuit, you just drive flat-out, or nearly flat-out. You are not avoiding stones. Here we will have to keep our eyes open in every situation â€“ even on the straight roads. Actually, I already hit one big stone on the recce â€“ it was in a second gear corner in the middle of the road and it broke the suspension. This kind of thing is new for me and difficult to predict.â€

Q: Rally de Portugal and two other European events into your first rally season, what do you think of your performance so far?

RK: "Not so bad. It was a bit more difficult than I expected, but without experience it's very, very difficult. I have done a couple of mistakes, a couple of times we had technical problems with the car, but all in all, when everything is running okay, we are able to be quite competitive. So far all of the rallies I have done this year have different characteristics and itâ€™s not easy. Every stage is new, every corner is new and there have been some surprises. Iâ€™m pretty happy though. Iâ€™m learning a lot and itâ€™s getting stored in my brain. There is enough room to learn much more!â€

Q: How are you feeling about tonightâ€™s night stage?

RK: â€œIâ€™ve driven in the night on tarmac but never on gravel. At our test we did a couple of runs in the night, but after you have learned the road, well, actually I went quicker in the night than in the day because I remembered the road. I hope not, but I think there might be a problem with the dust. In WRC 2 we are starting two minutes behind each other, while the WRC guys have a gap of four minutes. I expect that just two minutes might caus some issues with dust. Letâ€™s hope the wind stays strong.â€
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Steve · May 31, 2013

Ogier led in qualifying and chose to go last among the WRC drivers to let others clear the slippery road. Looks like he didn't need to bother sweating over choosing his starting position.

Kubica was the fastest of the WRC-2 drivers, the MINIs are 3rd and 4th in WRC-2.

SS1: Victims already in Greece! (best-of-rallylive.com)

31/05/2013 7:35 pm

The long opening stage (47.70km) of the 2013 Acropolis Rally has produced plenty of early drama. Evgeny Novikov leads for Ford/Michelin, ahead of CitroÃ«n’s Dani Sordo and Volkswagen driver Jari-Matti Latvala. But Ostberg and Hirvonen both lost time, while the championship leader Ogier has stopped with a ‘technical problem’.

Very often, the organisers of world championship rounds provide competitors with a chance to find their marks. But not here. To compensate for its shorter format, and to be sure that the notoriously punishing rally lost none of its challenge, the Greeks have laid on an exceptionally tough opening day: a menu of just two stages, but one an awesome 47.70km in length, and the other to be contested at night. The first (‘Kineta-Pissia’) has already caused havoc among the expected leaders…

We found a spot about 25km from the start (and 22km from the finish!) and, frankly, were expecting to see Volkswagen’s SÃ©bastien Ogier take advantage of his late running order to make his mark on the event. Wrong. Instead, it was his Ford rival Novikov who emerged from the mountains east of Corinth at the top of the order, his smooth style through our corner proving deceptively efficient.

As he passed in front of us, our stopwatch told us he was already 11 and 13 seconds faster than CitroÃ«n’s Mikko Hirvonen and Dani Sordo respectively. The stage’s second half saw him go even further clear to beat the Spaniard by more than 20 seconds (almost 0.5s/km!), while Hirvonen encountered serious trouble with his DS3 WRC’s steering, dropping almost six minutes and seriously comprising his chances of a second Acropolis win.

Latvala’s more sedate pace was rewarded with a footing on the provisional podium (+36.3s), despite a reported handbrake problem. However, the test proved catastrophic for his Volkswagen team-mate Ogier who didn’t even reach our vantage point. It seems that his handbrake locked, and that terminally damaged the Polo R WRC’s differentials.

Ostberg (+3m16s) at least had the good fortune of reaching the Stop Control, despite one of his wheels shattering around it bolts. It meant he could stop to replace the offending rim.

Both CitroÃ«n and VW had ‘weather men’ on the stage, not to report that the sky was blue and the sun shining beautifully, but to evaluate how much of a problem dust is likely to be when competitors return to the same hills for tonight’s SS2. The Priority 1 drivers will benefit from a gap of four minutes between each car, but it looks as though that might be an unnecessary precaution. True, even with the strong wind blowing in from the nearby Mediterranean, the dust didn’t clear immediately where we were standing on SS1. Instead, it whipped round in circles for maybe a minute, but then magically cleared. That said, some drivers reported problems with visibility..

Hopefully, the phenomenon won’t have an influence on the results as the young drivers face the rare pleasure of driving competitively on dirt in the dark later this evening. There could well be more changes…

One of this afternoon’s more notable performances was produced by ex-F1 star Robert Kubica who claimed the ninth best time in his diminutive CitroÃ«n DS3 RRC, despite losing an estimated 30 seconds stuck behind the preceding car…
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SS1: Novikov leads after dramatic opener (WRC.com)

31 May 13

Stage data: SS1, Kineta - Pissia (47.70 kilometres)

Stage description:

A lengthened version of the 2012 Kineta stage, it is the longest test of the rally and an easy place to pick up a puncture. For the first 5km the character changes wildly - there’s a bit of everything, from tight and twisty to fast and flowing, rough and smooth. After 14km there is a 4km asphalt section before a couple of hairpins and a switch back to gravel. From then on it’s a challenging mix of high-speed sprints on wide roads, and twisty, technical sections with many hairpins.

How the action unfolded:

The longest stage of the roughest and toughest round of the FIA World Rally Championship offered the potential for all kinds of drama – and so it proved.

Championship leader Sebastien Ogier retired with technical problems, Mikko Hirvonen dropped nearly six minutes with steering problems and Mads Ostberg lost more than three minutes with a damaged wheel.

So who escaped the carnage? Evgeny Novikov promised to attack from the start and he didn’t disappoint. The Russian was fastest in his Ford Fiesta RS by 20.6sec from Dani Sordo’s Citroen DS3, with Jari-Matti Latvala’s Volkswagen Polo R 36.3 adrift.

Novikov, a man of few words, restricted himself to just ‘impressive’ before adding: “I had to push. It was only the first stage so I still have to go hard.”

Sordo believed Novikov had struck trouble as, despite a strong wind in the hills east of Loutraki, he encountered hanging dust. The Spaniard admitted that when he heard of his rivals’ issues, he decided not to take any risks and eased his pace.

Latvala lost time with an overshoot after 3km and then the new hydraulic handbrake system on his Polo R caused the Finn problems. “I went straight on after a crest at a slippery and very difficult place. Then I had a handbrake problem. It was not working and I lost 10 seconds,” he said.

Thierry Neuville was fourth, 38.3sec from the lead, in a Fiesta RS, despite proclaiming the car was ‘undriveable’. “It was so rough and I couldn’t turn into the hairpins on these settings. It was so slippery and completely different to last year, so I need to think about the next loop,” the Belgian told WRC Live at the finish.

Andreas Mikkelsen was fifth, despite stalling his Polo R three times at hairpin bends, with Nasser Al-Attiyah sixth, despite hitting the right side of Hirvonen’s car as the Finn’s stricken Citroen DS3 struggled around a tight left corner.

Ogier stopped after 22km with what his Volkswagen team would only say was a technical issue, but they confirmed he would restart tomorrow under Rally 2 rules.

Hirvonen’s problems struck in the final seven kilometres, the Finn explaining: “There was no connection between the steering wheel and the steering rack. When I turned the wheel, it was a long time before anything happened. Sometimes I had to stop and reverse.”

Ostberg appeared to close to tears at the finish. “The wheel fell off,” was all he could say, but the Qatar M-Sport team later explained that the Norwegian hit a kerb and broke a wheel on his Fiesta RS WRC.
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Steve · May 31, 2013

How? I'd like to see what's left of that wheel if they can find it.

Mads: â€˜I donâ€™t know what to sayâ€™ (WRC.com)

31 May 13

A distraught Mads Ostberg admitted he had no idea why his Ford Fiesta RS shed its left front wheel in the opening special stage of the Acropolis Rally tonight.

The Norwegian stopped early in the monster 47.70km test from Kineta to Pissia and was close to tears when he reached the finish after replacing the wheel and losing more than three minutes.

Having regained his composure when he returned to the Loutraki service park, Ostberg admitted he would need to view the onboard footage in a bid to understand what happened.

â€œAt the beginning of the stage we did a lot of switching between concrete and gravel and each time the surface changed we went over a step,â€ he explained. â€œI was going through a corner and onto a step when the wheel just fell off.

â€œThere was no damage to the suspension or the steering. The only thing left on the hub was the bolt, the nuts and the cone where the wheel fits. Maybe it happened that I again hit something in the absolute worst possible angle with the tyre, I donâ€™t know,â€ he added.

Ostberg said personnel from the Qatar M-Sport team had gone into the stage to try to find the wheel so they could investigate further with the help of onboard footage.

â€œIt seems like things are on the wrong side of the limit at the moment. It happened at a tight hairpin left, a first gear corner and nothing can be massive at that speed. I donâ€™t know what to say.

â€œOn all the rallies we have retired lately we were able to get back into speed, and I will try to do the same here. We will try to reset for tomorrow,â€ added Ostberg.
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Steve · May 31, 2013

WRC Wrap: Acropolis day one (WRC.com)

31 May 13

Russian driver Evgeny Novikov is a surprise overnight leader of the Acropolis Rally after a short but dramatic opening day on the Greek round of the World Rally Championship.

Novikov, who drives for the Qatar M-Sport rally team, brought his Ford Fiesta RS to the overnight parc ferme in Loutraki with a lead of 30.3sec after two rough gravel stages in the countryside west of Athens.

Citroen DS driver Dani Sordo is second, with Jari-Matti Latvala third, 8.8 seconds further back in a Volkswagen Polo R.

But the shock retirement of championship leader Sebastien Ogier and huge time loss for WRC front-runners Mikko Hirvonen and Mads Ostberg were the main talking points of the day.

All three hit problems on the opening 47km Kineta â€“ Pissia stage, the longest test of the rally.

Ogierâ€™s Polo R was stopped by a fuel pressure problem, while Hirvonen lost almost six minutes when the steering on his Citroen DS3 broke 7km before the finish. Ostberg lost a front wheel from his Ford Fiesta RS and dropped more than three minutes when he stopped to fit the spare.

After the upsets on SS1, the second test - a repeat of the first 26km of the opening stage run in darkness - passed off relatively smoothly. Strong winds prevented any dust-related visibility problems and Novikov extended his rally lead by setting the fastest time.

â€œNo mistakes and everything is good,â€ Novikov acknowledged at the finish. â€œIâ€™m happy to be here â€“ itâ€™s looking good for tomorrow.â€

Sordo was second-quickest on Fridayâ€™s Qualifying Stage and ended the day with a safe run though the pitch dark SS2. â€œWe tried to drive a little bit cleanly but that lost me some time,â€ the Spaniard explained. â€œIt was a difficult day and Iâ€™m happy to be here with no problems.â€

Now leading the Volkswagen charge, Latvala was second fastest on SS2 and feeling positive at the wheel of his Polo R after the pre-stage service. â€œIt was good fun in the dark, no problems in the dust and it was enjoyable to drive. The handbrake is sorted and apart from some understeer in places the car is going much better.â€

Belgian driver Thierry Neuville holds fourth overnight, 12 seconds behind Latvala in his Qatar team Fiesta RS.

Polo R driver Andreas Mikkelsen is fifth, 23 seconds further back after being distracted on SS2 by a faulty dashboard display that showed only third gear. â€œIt was hard to know what gear I was really in, so a few times I arrived at corners in the wrong gear. I had to try and count the number of changes in my head,â€ said Mikkelsen.

Nasser Al Attiyah is sixth, with Martin Prokop seventh and Khalid Al Qassimi eighth.

Ostberg is ninth, 3m 30s off the lead. The Norwegian was sixth fastest on SS2 but admitted his mind was elsewhere. â€œI couldnâ€™t find the rhythm. I was so, so disappointed after the first stage and itâ€™s difficult to let that go so soon afterwards.â€

Hirvonen is a lowly 17th in his Citroen DS3. At the end of SS2, however, the Finn admitted it could have been worse. â€œI nearly rolled in that one,â€ he shrugged.

The action on the Acropolis Rally resumes on Saturday morning, when the first of eight stages, the 17km Klenia Mycenae, starts at 0823hrs local time.
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Acropolis WRC 2: Kubica leads after day 1 (WRC.com)

31 May 13

Robert Kubica dominated the opening leg of the Acropolis Rally in the WRC 2 category to build a 38.2sec lead in his Citroen DS3 RRC, despite visiting a ditch and a spin.

The Polish F1 star was fastest through the opening 47.70km test from Kineta to Pissia by 20.5sec and won the shorter Kineta test by 13.7sec to return to the rally base in Loutraki clear of Yuriy Protasov and championship leader Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari.

â€œWe set a good pace in the first stage, perhaps too fast,â€ said Kubica. â€œWe caught the dust of Fuchs ahead and went off into a ditch but, OK, we got out. It was a shame because we lost 30sec in the dust, but this is part of rallying and part of the lessons we are taking.

â€œThe second stage in the dark was pretty difficult. We had a spin. I went off the line and didnâ€™t want to take the risk of trying to get back, so I reversed and lost a lot of time,â€ added Kubica, who lies 10th overall.

Protasov, driving a Ford Fiesta RRC for the first time, punctured a rear right tyre in SS2 but the Ukrainian is 17.1sec clear of Al-Kuwariâ€™s similar car. The Qatari reported a minor handbrake problem in the opening test.

Valeriy Gorban lies fourth in a Mini John Cooper Works, a further 12.4sec back, with Subhan Aksa completing the top five in another Fiesta RRC.

Peruvian Nicolas Fuchs stopped to change a front left puncture on his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X in the opening stage and lost more than four minutes. Ricardo Trivino lost more than eight minutes after a similar issue in his Lancer.

Alaâ€™A Rasheed retired his Fiesta RRC in the opening test with a broken steering wheel.
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Steve · Jun 1, 2013

SS3: Novikov and Latvala share stage win (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Stage data: SS3, Klenia Mycenae 1 (17.41kilometres)

Stage description:

Unchanged from 2012, Klenia Mycenae starts on a smooth and flowing gravel road with some fast sections until the eight-kilometre point when the surface changes to bedrock and it gets faster. But the high-speed stuff doesnâ€™t last for long. The sudden switch to narrow and twisty sections, or a sequence of hairpin corners, is a feature of this test and has caught out many drivers in the past â€“ including Sebastien Loeb who crashed at the 8km point here in 2009.

How the action unfolded:

Saturdayâ€™s opening test on the Acropolis Rally resulted in a dead-heat between rally leader Evgeny Novikov [pictured] and the man in second place, Jari-Matti Latvala.

Volkswagen Polo R driver Latvala was the first of the pair to complete the stage, and was pleased to have done enough to move ahead of Dani Sordo into second position.

â€œIt was a really good stage,â€ acknowledged Latvala. â€œNormally [my co-driver] Miikka is not commenting on my driving, but when he says it was good it was good â€“ and he did in there. Now we need to keep the pressure on [Novikov] but remember to stay calm and focused.â€

Emerging from the stage after Latvala, however, Ford Fiesta RS driver Novikov seemed anything but pressured. â€œI have Latvalaâ€™s splits, so I followed them. I could go a bit faster if I needed to,â€ the Russian calmly explained.

Dani Sordo was third quickest, 13.5sec slower than the lead pair. â€œItâ€™s difficult to find a rhythm but Iâ€™ll continue to try, I want to push but I donâ€™t want to make a mistake.â€

Thierry Neuville was fourth quickest, and said the rough state of the road had taken him by surprise.

The first three drivers through the stage - and the ones to encounter the worst of the slippery gravel - were the drivers who had hit trouble on Fridayâ€™s opening test.

The trio was led by Volkwagen Polo R driver Sebastien Ogier who is first in Saturdayâ€™s start order after a fuel pressure problem forced his retirement from day one. â€œIt was okay but for sure really slippy. I tried but itâ€™s not easy,â€ said the Frenchman who was eighth fastest.

Asked what result he though he could salvage from this rally, Ogier said: â€œI have absolutely no idea where I can finish. We have to drive and see what happens.â€

Mikko Hirvonen was seventh fastest from his position of second in the start order. â€œIt was okay, but thereâ€™s lots of loose gravel and itâ€™s really slippery. The stage is cleaning a lot.â€

Third in the start order, Mads Ostberg was fifth quickest. â€œI couldnâ€™t do anything more. The stage is cleaning a lot but at least the guys ahead are leaving good lines.â€

Elsewhere, Khalid Al Qassimi lost time with two overshoots, while Martin Prokop had a lucky escape when he misheard a pace note and arrived at a tight corner carrying too much speed.

Greek driver Lambros Athanassoulas did not restart Saturday's competition. The winner of the P-WRC category in 2009 retired after his Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X suffered a broken suspension wishbone on Friday's opening stage.
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SS4: Novikov loses lead after puncture (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Stage data: SS4, Ghymno 1 (17.61 kilometres)

Stage description:

This is the same stage as last year and one of the toughest of the rally, with stones and rocks on the surface and plenty of bedrock above road level. The first 8km climb on open, wide roads through a series of hairpins, linked by rough but fast sections. The descent is on narrow tree-lined roads with many rocks waiting to trap the unwary.

How the action unfolded:

Evgeny Novikov saw his hopes of victory in the Acropolis Rally all but disappear when he dropped more than 4min 30sec after puncturing a tyre early in the rocky Ghymno stage.

The Russian had led after setting a blistering pace since yesterday eveningâ€™s start, but after stopping to replace the rear right tyre on his Ford Fiesta RS, he plunged to eighth.

â€œI think we hit the same stone that Jari-Matti Latvala hit last year. I got a puncture and broke something in the suspension,â€ he explained.

Novikovâ€™s issues promoted Latvala into the lead. The Finn was fastest by 10.9sec in his Volkswagen Polo R from Dani Sordo, who now lies second, but Latvala was simply relieved to complete the test without a problem.

â€œItâ€™s very rough,â€ he told WRC Live. â€œI canâ€™t push any more than now. I hit a bank and there was a stone there. We didnâ€™t get a puncture but we were very, very lucky.â€

Sordo had refused to become embroiled in chasing Novikov, the Spaniardâ€™s Acropolis experience telling him that outright pace rarely pays dividends on such a rough rally.

â€œI looked at the speed of Evgeny and Jari-Matti and thought something would happen,â€ said the Citroen DS3 pilot. â€œItâ€™s very easy to make a mistake here if you are pushing like hell. I didnâ€™t take any risks, there is no reason to do so.â€

Thierry Neuville was third fastest in a Fiesta RS and the Belgian climbed to third overall. â€œI didnâ€™t push too much, I just drove the stage. My brakes overheated but otherwise no problems. Itâ€™s getting more rough, and itâ€™s difficult for the car,â€ he said.

Fourth quickest was Sebastien Ogier, the Polo R driver shrugging off the handicap of being first on the road. The Frenchman admitted the stage was slippery, but dropping 19.3sec to Latvala was still an impressive effort.

Mikko Hirvonen and Mads Ostberg completed the top six in the stage, Ostberg fighting oversteer on his Fiesta RS. â€œMaybe I have a pre-load problem with the rear differential, so I will see if I can fix that,â€ said the Norwegian.

Andreas Mikkelsen spun and lost 15sec, but the Polo R driver is now up to fourth place.
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What happens when you continue to rally on a flat tire?

Steve · Jun 1, 2013

SS5: Latvala takes 50th stage win for Polo R (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Stage data: SS5, Kefalari (18.40 kilometres)

Stage description:

Another repeat from 2012. The opening kilometres are on wide roads through pine forests and stunning scenery. But at the midpoint it becomes narrower and rougher, before dipping and diving among the trees as it heads to the finish.

How the action unfolded:

Jari-Matti Latvala was quickest through the 18km Kefalari test to claim the 50th stage win for Volkwagenâ€™s Polo R from 95 stage starts this year.

The Finn extended his Acropolis Rally lead to 18.8sec over Dani Sordo, who was second quickest in a Citroen DS3 WRC.

However Latvala, who has won all of the stages this morning, was feeling less than comfortable in his new position as rally leader.

â€œItâ€™s demanding,â€ he said. â€œBefore I was the guy who was trying to catch the people ahead, now they are trying to catch me. So the game has changed a bit. I wasnâ€™t very relaxed in there. I have a rhythm but it could be better.â€

Sordo completed the stage in a time 3.2sec slower than Latvalaâ€™s. â€œI seem to be losing a lot of time in the slow corners so I took it carefully to try and find out why,â€ the Spaniard explained.

â€œI need to learn this for other rough rallies like Sardegna. I need to get better in these sorts of stages. Iâ€™m happy though, itâ€™s good.â€

Sebastien Ogier was third fastest, and making the most of the opportunity to test his Polo R in the slippery conditions at the field of the field. â€œWe tried to push but itâ€™s not easy. We tried to adapt our set-up to the conditions,â€ he said.

Ogierâ€™s team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen delivered a heroic Acropolis performance, driving his Polo R through most of the 18km mountain stage with no brakes.

â€œWe lost them after about three kilometres,â€™ the Norwegian explained. â€œI pushed the pedal and it went straight to the floor. After 12 or 13 kilometres the brakes started to come back a bit but then, snap, the pedal went to the floor again. I donâ€™t know what it is, but itâ€™s impossible to drive like this.â€

Mikkelsenâ€™s problems cost him around 40 seconds, dropping him more than one minute behind third-placed Thierry Neuville in the overall standings.

Neuville was fourth-fastest through SS5. â€œI was following Andreasâ€™ splits, so when I saw that he slowed I did too. There is no point to risk doing anything more,â€ he said.

After his broken wheel on Friday, Mads Ostberg experienced more problems and the Norwegian arrived at the finish control with the left-hand front wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS out of alignment. â€œSomething happened on the start line, from the beginning, I donâ€™t know what exactly,â€ said the Norwegian.

Meanwhile Evgeny Novikov continued to lose time as a consequence of his rock-strike on the previous test. â€œThe brakes are still broken,â€ he explained. â€œWe canâ€™t fix it because we donâ€™t have any parts until service.â€
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Latvala stretches Acropolis lead (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Jari-Matti Latvala won three of the four morning stages in the second leg of the Acropolis Rally to build an 18.7sec lead over Dani Sordo.

The Finn was third after last nightâ€™s opening combat, but took his Volkswagen Polo R into the lead when Evgeny Novikov stopped to change a punctured rear right tyre on his Ford Fiesta RS after swiping a rock early in SS4.

Latvala was fortunate to escape a similar fate after hitting a bank in the same stage. However, the only blemish on a clean sweep of stage wins came in the final 21.36km Ziria test when Sordo edged him out by just a tenth of a second.

â€œIâ€™m happy with the car, although we have a little bit of work to do with the differential. Itâ€™s not perfect. There are no problems, but we could improve the set-up. The car isnâ€™t exactly as I want it, as itâ€™s understeering a bit coming out of corners,â€ he explained.

Novikovâ€™s impact damaged the brakes and suspension and the Russian emerged from Ziria with the wheel pointing at an alarming angle. â€œI had no choice but to drive it as it is. I have to be able to get to service to continue,â€ he said, after dropping more than 8min 30sec to plunge to 11th.

The gravel roads in the Peloponnese peninsula were littered with rocks and Sordoâ€™s plan of picking his way around them rather than focusing on sheer pace paid off.

â€œIâ€™m quite happy with this,â€ said the Spaniard. â€œI donâ€™t want to think about the results, just the performance. Itâ€™s easy to make a mistake here if you are pushing like hell, and I have no reason to do that.â€

Thierry Neuville lies third in a Fiesta RS, 52.1sec behind Sordo, the Belgian matching his pace to the split times of those around him.

Neuvilleâ€™s job was made easier when Andreas Mikkelsen completed two stages with no brakes on his Polo R. He tried to make repairs before Ziria, incurring a 30 second penalty for starting late, but it was to no avail and he slipped from fourth to fifth.

Nasser Al-Attiyah was the beneficiary, the Qatari putting his vast rough-road experience to good use in a Fiesta RS. â€œIf you push then Iâ€™m sure we will do a mistake and cause damage because there are a lot of big rocks. I will try to keep this speed,â€ he said.

Martin Prokop moved up to sixth in another Fiesta RS with the recovering Mads Ostberg in seventh, despite a steering problem in SS5 on his Ford.

â€œThe locking nut on the steering arm came undone. The arm had opened the steering and it was far out of line. It was impossible to drive but we fixed it,â€ said the Norwegian, posting third fastest time through Ziria to prove his point.

Mikko Hirvonen is eighth in his Citroen DS3 while Sebastien Ogier lies 15th in his Polo R, despite running first on the road in slippery conditions. â€œIt was familiar for me from the times I had to open the road for my former team-mate in the past,â€ the Frenchman said with a rueful smile, remembering his days as a team-mate of Sebastien Loeb at Citroen.

After service in Loutraki, competitors repeat the same four stages. While the cool temperatures will not pose a problem for the driversâ€™ hard compound Michelin rubber, the roads will be even rougher than they were this morning.
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Kubica storms ahead in WRC 2 (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Formula One ace Robert Kubica has a commanding lead in the WRC 2 category of the Acropolis Rally after going fastest on all six stages so far.

At the midpoint of Saturdayâ€™s competition, the Pole, driving a Citroen DS3 RRC, is 1min 38.5sec ahead of Ukrainian Yuriy Protasov in a Ford Fiesta RRC.

Kubica, on only his second appearance in the World Rally Championship, overcome a handbrake problem early in the day and rounded off the morning loop of stages eager to go faster.

â€œItâ€™s going well but I wanted more speed,â€ he said. â€œWe drove most of the last test in fifth gear because we didnâ€™t have enough power to pull sixth. But I guess thatâ€™s the same for everyone. It's going quite well for us.â€

Behind Kubica, Protasov remains under pressure from Qatari driver Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, who is just 5.9sec further back in third in another Fiesta RRC - despite contending with a broken anti-roll bar and overheating brakes.

Indonesian driver Subhan Aksa is fourth, 53.1sec back, in another Fiesta RRC. Ukrainian Oleksii Kikireshko rounds off the top five, 37.6sec further back in his Mini RRC after going off the road on SS3.

Fiesta RRC driver Lorenzo Bertelli retired from sixth place with a broken cross-member on SS5.
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Steve · Jun 1, 2013

SS7: Latvala heads a Polo 1-2-3 (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Stage data: SS7, Klenia Mycenae 1 (17.41kilometres)

Stage description:

Unchanged from 2012, Klenia Mycenae starts on a smooth and flowing gravel road with some fast sections until the eight-kilometre point when the surface changes to bedrock and it gets faster. But the high-speed stuff doesnâ€™t last for long. The sudden switch to narrow and twisty sections, or a sequence of hairpin corners, is a feature of this test and has caught out many drivers in the past â€“ including Sebastien Loeb who crashed at the 8km point here in 2009.

How the action unfolded:

Jari-Matti Latvala extended his lead of the Acropolis Rally on stage seven, taking another stage win to pull 29.9sec clear of Dani Sordo in second.

The Finn led a trio of Volkswagen Polo R drivers at the top of the SS7 results sheet, with Sebastien Ogier second fastest, 3.7sec adrift, and Andreas Mikkelsen third, 0.8sec further back.

The repeat of Klenia Mycenae was a rougher challenge than the earlier pass, with big stones littering the route and a more abrasive bedrock surface that had been largely swept free of loose gravel.

But despite the numerous hazards, Latvala kept his boot down and completed in test in 11m 14.4s â€“ nine seconds quicker than his time in the morning.

â€œIt was good, no problems,â€ said Latvala. â€œThe car was good, we had a good feeling so overall Iâ€™m very happy.â€

Sordo however took a more cautious approach, bringing his Citroen DS3 to the finish in the seventh fastest time. â€œThe road is completely destroyed and there are a lot of stones everywhere. Latvala is pushing like hell, yes? My plan is to keep out of trouble.â€

Third placed Thierry Neuville was also concentrating on self-preservation. â€œThere were many rocks on the [racing] line,â€ said the Belgian, who was sixth fastest. â€œI thought many times we would get a puncture, but we got away with it. I lost three or four seconds with a stall, but otherwise I just tried to be careful.â€

Nasser Al Attiyah was eighth quickest, but his fourth place overall was under threat from the chasing Mikkelsen, who by the end of the test was just 14.5sec behind.

â€œThe brakes work properly now and I found a rhythm that Iâ€™m happy with,â€ said Mikkelsen. â€œLetâ€™s keep it up. The feeling of the car is much better when thereâ€™s more grip.â€
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SS8: Novikov masters the rocks (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Stage data: SS8, Ghymno 1 (17.61 kilometres)

Stage description:

This is the same stage as last year and one of the toughest of the rally, with stones and rocks on the surface and plenty of bedrock above road level. The first 8km climb on open, wide roads through a series of hairpins, linked by rough but fast sections. The descent is on narrow tree-lined roads with many rocks waiting to trap the unwary.

How the action unfolded:

Rough â€“ a short word but one uttered by every driver after a test in which several said it was so rocky that simply keeping hold of the steering wheel proved difficult.

Evgeny Novikov kept a firm grip inside his Ford Fiesta RS to set fastest time by 4.6sec from rally leader Jari-Matti Latvalaâ€™s Volkswagen Polo R (pictured).

How did he do it? â€œYou have to avoid touching anything on either the outside or the inside of the road then you can still drive quickly,â€ said the Russian.

Driving quickly was not uppermost in most driversâ€™ minds. Simply getting through unscathed was the focus of most and second-placed Dani Sordo summed it up best.

â€œItâ€™s terrible. Itâ€™s so rough that you cannot drive. There are stones everywhere, the road is completely destroyed. You have to go through the corners slowly because if you go fast then you will break something. Itâ€™s a lottery,â€ said the Spaniard, whose caution brought him sixth fastest time. The Citroen DS3 pilot is now 44.7sec behind Latvala.

The Finn delivered what co-driver Miikka Anttila described as â€˜a controlled driveâ€™. â€œAfter all the years as a youngster, Iâ€™m finally starting to see my experience is paying off!â€ he joked.

Sebastien Ogier was third in his Polo R, 15.0sec behind Novikov, and the rough roads brought a totally different problem. â€œIt was so rough that it was shaking like hell inside the car and one of the in-car cameras fell off,â€ said the Frenchman, who is now 11th, but admitted that 10th maybe the highest he could climb.

Thierry Neuville was fourth in his Fiesta RS with Andreas Mikkelsen fifth. The Norwegianâ€™s Polo R has closed to within 8.8sec of Nasser Al-Attiyah in their battle for fourth place.

Mads Ostberg finished with a right rear puncture on his Fiesta RS while Mikko Hirvonen broke the front right wheel rim on his Citroen DS3 7km from the finish. The Michelin tyre lost its air but remained on the rim and the Finn dropped only 48sec.

In worse trouble was Khalid Al Qassimi, who rolled his DS3 into retirement at only the third corner, 100 metres from the start.
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SS9: Latvala in control as the rain comes down (WRC.com)

Stage data: SS9, Kefalari (18.40 kilometres)

Stage description:

Another repeat from 2012. The opening kilometres are on wide roads through pine forests and stunning scenery. But at the midpoint it becomes narrower and rougher, before dipping and diving among the trees as it heads to the finish.

How the action unfolded:

Jari-Matti Latvala remains in control of the Acropolis despite rain showers on stage nine adding another dimension to the Greek challenge.

The Finn was second quickest through the repeated Kefalari, and will take a 49.2 sec advantage over Dani Sordo into Saturdayâ€™s final stage

â€œI was a little bit worried when I saw the rain because I thought it was going to be slippy,â€ said Latvala. â€œOkay, we lost grip in one or two places, and went wide a couple of times, but otherwise it turned out to be a good stage.â€

Behind him, Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville were fourth and sixth fastest respectively as they adopted a cautious approach to preserve their podium positions.

Nasser Al-Attiyah had the upper hand in the battle for fourth, the Qatari going eighth-fastest to extend the gap slightly to the chasing Andreas Mikkelsen.

But when Mikkelsenâ€™s Polo R arrived at the finish with its right-hand rear tyre hanging off the rim it was clear he was not running at full strength.

â€œIâ€™m not sure about where the damage came from, but itâ€™s not that special - we hit small things all the time,â€œ said the Norwegian. â€œWe are just trying to keep the good pace without going over the limit. I was a bit careful in there over the crests. I like the next stage so hopefully we can get abit of a push on in that one.â€

Evgeny Novikov was the stage winner. The Russian, who is ninth, completed the 18km test 1.5sec quicker than Latvala.
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Steve · Jun 1, 2013

Latvala takes 64sec lead into Acropolis finale (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Jari-Matti Latvala prospered during a grueling second day of the Acropolis Rally to climb from third to first and will take a lead of more than a minute into tomorrow's final leg.

The Volkswagen Polo R driver made his move when leader Evgeny Novikov swiped a bank with the rear of his Ford Fiesta RS in SS4. The impact broke a wheel and while the 4min 30sec time loss sent the Russian plunging down the order, Latvala, who overhauled Dani Sordo for second in the previous stage, moved to the front.

The Finn built a 18.7sec lead after the first loop of four stages and widened that to 64.1sec during the afternoon, despite heavy rain and roads so rocky that drivers struggled to retain a grip on their steering wheel.

â€œIt was a solid performance and the VW team did good work in changing some parts. But we must remember this is the Acropolis and there could still be drama tomorrow,â€ said Latvala, who won four stages but was lucky to escape an impact with a bank.

Sordo refused to become embroiled in the short but fierce battle between Novikov and Latvala. He drove at a speed with which he felt comfortable, content to look after his Citroen DS3 and unwilling to chase the lead.

â€œI took no risks,â€ was the phrase he used at virtually every stage finish. â€œI tried to control the punctures and the problems,â€ he said.

Thierry Neuville was a model of consistency in third in his Ford Fiesta RS. The Belgian has been criticised for making mistakes earlier in the year but he steered clear of trouble to end 39.0sec behind Sordo.

â€œWe made no mistakes and we didnâ€™t push in the bad places. Iâ€™m happy with myself and we showed we can be clever sometimes,â€ he said.

The main battle was for fourth between Nasser Al Attiyah and Andreas Mikkelsen. The Norwegian held the initiative but drove this morningâ€™s final two stages with no brakes on his Polo R to fall behind the Qatariâ€™s Fiesta RS.

Mikkelsen closed in but a front right puncture in the final stage stifled his charge and they will restart separated by 25.7sec. â€œIt happened in the middle of the line in a left corner. I didnâ€™t even see it and suddenly a big bang from nowhere,â€ said Mikkelsen.

Mads Ostberg recovered to sixth in his Fiesta RS, despite a loose steering arm this morning, and he is 24.0sec clear of Martin Prokopâ€™s similar car.

Mikko Hirvonen twice broke a wheel rim on his Citroen DS3 but holds eighth, 23.9sec ahead of a resurgent Novikov, who won two afternoon stages after dropping another four minutes with brake and suspension issues related to his early drama.

Rounding off the top 10 is Sebastien Ogier, the Frenchman gamely putting up with running first on the road in slippery conditions in his Polo R. His reward came on the final stage when rain hampered the later starters and he took fastest time.

Drivers face two identical loops of two stages tomorrow covering 83.22km before the afternoon finish in Loutraki.
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Kubica extends WRC 2 lead in Greece (WRC.com)

01 Jun 13

Nine wins from 10 stages provided Robert Kubica with a comfortable 2min 20sec lead in the WRC 2 category going into tomorrow's third and final leg of the Acropolis Rally.

The Pole won last nightâ€™s opening two tests before winning the first seven of todayâ€™s eight stages in his Citroen DS3 RRC. Only a final stage fastest time by Indonesiaâ€™s Subhan Aksa deprived Kubica of a clean sweep.

He was 38.2sec clear of Ukraineâ€™s Yuriy Protasov last night and stretched that advantage by a minute during this morningâ€™s four stages. He pulled further clear this afternoon in what is only his second gravel WRC outing.

â€œItâ€™s been a good day for us, but very tough with two loops of difficult stages,â€ said Kubica. â€œOkay, the last one was not so bad but the other three were very rough â€“ especially on the second pass.â€

Protasov and series leader Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari enjoyed a thrilling battle for second. Protasov held the initiative in his Ford Fiesta RRC before the Qatari moved ahead on SS8 in a similar car, despite a broken anti-roll bar and overheating brakes.

However, the Ukraine driver regained second on the next test and ended the day 4.4sec ahead. â€œThe route was very difficult with a lot of stones. I drove slowly because safety is better. I am gaining experience and I had no punctures today,â€ said Protasov.

â€œThe stages were so rough that sometimes we couldnâ€™t hold the steering wheel,â€ said Al-Kuwari. â€œIt was really tough but we finished. Can I catch Protasov? I hope we can.â€

Aksa lies fourth in another Fiesta RRC, with Oleksii Tamrazov completing the top five in a Fiesta S2000, the Ukraine pilot capitalising on a string of retirements ahead.

The Mini John Cooper Works cars of team-mates Valeriy Gorban and Oleksii Kikireshko were both sidelined in SS7 with broken front suspension, while Lorenzo Bertelli stopped with a broken cross-member after SS4.
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Steve · Jun 1, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRi_cgK5BSQ]Leg 2 - 2013 WRC Acropolis Rally of Greece - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jun 2, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fAtMgsFshs]Highlights - 2013 WRC Acropolis Rally of Greece - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jun 2, 2013

Acropolis results provisional following protest (MaxRally.com)

by Graham Lister / 2nd June 2013

The results of the Acropolis Rally remain provisional following a protest by the factory Citroen team.

Citroen submitted a protest to the event stewards earlier this evening against the three factory Volkswagen Polos of Jari-Matti Latvala, Andreas Mikkelsen and Sebastien Ogier.

This was rejected on the grounds that it was against more than one competitor, which infringes Article 176 of the International Sporting Code.

However, a further two protests have now been lodged by Citroen against Volkswagen, which could affect the outcome of the event.

The stewards of the meeting under the chairman, the 2001 world champion co-driver Robert Reid, are currently considering the protests although itâ€™s unclear when any decision will be known.

In another development, Martin Prokop has been confirmed in seventh place after it emerged that Mikko Hirvonen was credited with the wrong time for stage 13, which put him ahead of the Czech in the overall classification.
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Steve · Jun 2, 2013

The protest was heard by the stewards and the results stand. If anyone is interested, the Stewards Decision letter is here.

Steve · Jun 2, 2013

Don't waste your time on #2.

Acropolis Rally: five things we learned (MaxRally.com)

by Richard Rodgers / 2nd June 2013

MAXRALLY was in Greece last week for another epic Acropolis Rally. Here are five things we learned.

1: It was a loose connection that got Ogier
Sebastien Ogierâ€™s exit from the first stage of the Acropolis Rally on Friday was blamed on a fuel pressure glitch. This was actually caused by the electrical connection not being tight enough and falling off over the rocky terrain as VWâ€™s technical chief Francois-Xavier Demaison explained: â€œIf you donâ€™t put power to the fuel pump they donâ€™t work and if you donâ€™t secure these connections properly they donâ€™t stay on.â€ So there.

2: When in doubt check the car park out
The Acropolis Rally organisers are planning a few changes to the route of next yearâ€™s 60th anniversary event and you can read more about this on MAXRALLY later this week. Always keen to help, the MAX suggests they consider the underground car park of Loutrakiâ€™s casino, which doubled as rally HQ and home to the media centre for the weekend. Level minus two is particularly special, despite lacking distance, suitable viewing spots and gravel.

3: Robert Kubica doesnâ€™t like butterâ€¦
Itâ€™s a fact: Robert Kubica doesnâ€™t like butter. The Pole rejected the ham sandwiches handed to him by co-driver Maciek Baran at midday service on Saturday after he discovered a coating of butter. â€œButter,â€ he exclaimed. â€œI donâ€™t eat butter!â€

4: â€¦but he does have a sense of humour
When asked by one journalist how the right arm partly severed during his rally crash in Italy in 2011 was after Fridayâ€™s opening 47-kilometre stage, Kubica replied: â€œwell itâ€™s still hereâ€.

5: The PM has fever
Greeceâ€™s prime minister, Antonis Samaras clearly has fever after he took a break from running the country to flag the drivers over the starting ramp at the Zappeion Megaro in Athens. â€œThe Acropolis Rally is a very important event in our country and the State must alwayssupport it,â€ he said. Thatâ€™s encouraging news for the future then.
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