Hyundai going for gold, and full podium again, at Acropolis Rally

Hyundai Motorsport will be going for gold this weekend at the gruelling AcropolisRally following consecutive top-three finishes in Estonia and Finland. The gravelevent is the tenth round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) andtakes place in Lamia, Greece.

One of the most unique and exhilarating events on the calendar, the AcropolisRally featured in the WRC's inaugural season and quickly established itself asone of the most challenging rallies for both crew and car. The rough and rockymountain roads, paired with this year's scorching hot temperatures, are sure toproduce an even tougher competition than usual - tailored suspension and rideheights will be essential in preventing cars from sustaining rally-endingdamage.

Last season, the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team expertly navigatedthe abrasive gravel stages to a historic 1-2-3 finish, with Thierry Neuvilleand Martijn Wydaeghe on the top, andDani Sordo and Cándido Carrera rounding out the rostrum in third. It was adominant display by the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid cars, carrying its crews to9 stage victories.

The team's third crew in the line-up, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm,have contested the Greek event previously in both the WRC and European RallyChampionship, with a best result of fourth place in the latter series. Theyhave also displayed strong pace at this season's pervious gravel rallies andwill be hoping to bounce back after a disappointing Rally Finland.

Special starts

The Acropolis Rally is renowned for its unique and impressive superspecial stages which kick off the event in style. The 2023 edition willcommence in front of a new scenic backdrop, as the crews take on a 1,48 kmseaside stage on Thursday evening. Fourteen lengthy stages will follow, withthe entire itinerary covering a total distance of 308 km, with three clearsplits in surface conditions.

Thoughts from the co-driver's seat

Greece is home to some of the most demanding stages on the calendar forco-drivers. However, the often overlooked road sections also pose a challengein the heat of the Mediterranean sun, as Ferm explains: "There are many longroad sections at the Acropolis Rally, so you need to stay focused throughoutthe day, even between stages. This is made harder when you have hightemperatures, as it can be quite exhausting in the car. But I have actuallyalways liked the hot rallies, so for me and Esapekka the heat is not somethingwe are too worried about."

Hyundai Motorsport team principal Cyril Abiteboul said: "Following apodium in Finland and a dominant performance here last year, we are feelingconfident for the Acropolis Rally. An exciting battle for Teemu on RallyFinland's Sunday showed how competitive the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid hasbecome, and Thierry's success in second shows that we are getting closer to ourgoal. Nevertheless, we continue to push the limits to keep developing the carand close the gap to Toyota. Our dream for this weekend is ultimately to have arepeat of last year's results; at a minimum we are targeting all cars finishingin the top five."

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe

Neuville said: "I would rate the Acropolis Rally as one of the harderevents on the WRC calendar. It's a bit of an endurance race across three days,three different areas, three different types of stages, which all feature roughconditions and hot temperatures. You need reliability, a strong car and theright setup for every challenge; if you can be comfortable in the car in everycircumstance, it's easier to go fast."

Crew Notes: Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm

Lappi said: "After the Safari Rally Kenya, the Acropolis Rally is thetoughest event of the season. It hasn't been too gruelling in previous years asthey have made a lot of repairs to the roads. However, it is either reallytough or very hot, and sometimes it's even both, and that is what makes thisrally special. It's very demanding for the tyres and brakes, and the drivers aswell, as we have to keep hydrated. You need to stay out of trouble and try tokeep the car on the clean lines to get maximum grip all the time."

Crew Notes: Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera

Sordo said: "The Acropolis Rally is really rough, which is becoming moretypical for these types of gravel rallies. In general, there is a lot of grip,because the surface is quite hard on the tyres. Usually we run the car a littlehigher in Greece than at other events because of the surface and the stones.It's not a big change, but it just gives a little more protection to the car.We are expecting hot weather which will also add to the challenge."

Weekend at a glance

After shakedown on Thursday morning, the Acropolis Rally starts thatevening with the brand-new 1,48 km EKO Super Special Stage.

Friday will open with the scenic SS2 Loutraki 1 (18,10 km), a stage setamongst Greek mountains and dirt tracks followed by SS3 Pissia (16,43 km), asecond loop of Loutraki, SS5 Livadia (21,03 km) and SS6 Elatia (28,32 km) toclose the day.

Saturday's running will consist of six stages, including two passes ofthe weekend's longest challenge: Karoutes (28,49 km). Three final tests onSunday, including the 19,77 km SS15 Grammeni 2 Power Stage, will bring theevent to a close.