Between September 8 and 11 competitors from across the globe met to test their mettle in the tenth round of the World Rally Championships (WRC), the 2022 EKO Acropolis “Rally of Gods”.
The final tally saw Belgian nationals Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe take first place with a 15 second lead for Hyundai Shell Mobis leading a 1-2-3 finish for the World Rally Team.
Estonians Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja came in a close second followed 1:49.7 seconds later by Spaniards Daniel “Dani” Sordo and Cándido Carrera, all three top spots secured under the Hyundai banner, making history for the vehicle that carried them.
The three crews were delivered by Hyundai’s i20 N Rally1, the company’s latest generation Rally1 machine which debuted at the first round in Monte Carlo this January.
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis gave his seal of approval on a visit to the capital’s Olympic Stadium after getting behind the wheel of a M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally3 a day before the event began.
“We are tremendously excited to have the Acropolis back for a second year after a very long hiatus,” the PM said.
“Everyone is extremely excited, we are really happy that we will be able to rediscover some of the iconic landscapes which are associated with it,” he told the WRC.
The event spans 16 stages over 303.3km. The action kicked off Thursday night inside Athens’ Olympic Stadium where drivers went head to head two at a time on 1.95km of track.
Inaugurated in 1951 by the Automobile and Touring Club of Greece (ELPA), the Acropolis rally stands among the oldest in world rallying.
Returning to the World Rally Championship in 2021 after a seven-year gap, it’s regarded as one of the most challenging circuits in the sport, due to the rough terrain and twisting mountain routes.
“The tracks are smoother than they used to be but still pose punishing demands on tyres and cars,” states the WRC’s official event overview.
The unrelenting rays of the Greek summer sun test contestants just as much, cockpits can reach 50 °C, participants practically bake inside their race suits.
But trying trials have their just rewards, the picturesque backdrop of central Greece’s mountainous terrain greets drivers at every stage.
Last year’s winners, Finns Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen managed to place 15th despite wrecking the rear suspension of their car after hitting a tree on the rally’s third day.
The 11th round is set to take place between September 29 and October 2 in New Zealand, half a world away and the third from last event on this year’s WRC calendar.
