Sebastien Ogier leads as puncture lottery shakes up leaderboard

Sebastien Ogier has moved into the lead of Acropolis Rally Greece regardless of being amongst a number of World Rally Championship crews to select up punctures on a brutal Friday morning.

Eight-time world champion Ogier accomplished the morning loop with a 6.1s lead over Hyundai’s Ott Tanak, with Adrien Fourmaux in third 14.4s adrift.

Ogier took a shared in a single day lead with Tanak into Friday’s tough gravel levels after final night time’s Athens tremendous particular. Ogier set a blistering time in stage two, regardless of being second on the street, earlier than dropping to 3rd because the street cleansing impact took maintain in stage three, which helped Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, beginning fifth, to march into 4.2s lead over Fourmaux.

Nevertheless, the leaderboard underwent a shake up within the second cross by means of the Aghii Theodori stage, that hosted the second take a look at in searing temperatures. The rutted roads uncovered loads of bedrock growing the danger of punctures that crews had anticipated would influence the rally given the levels are a lot rougher than earlier years because of a chronic interval of dry climate.

Six of the Rally1 crews suffered from both puncture or injury to the tyres in stage 4. Neuville was impacted probably the most as a front-left failure price him the rally lead. The reigning world champion elected to press on as an alternative of fixing it and managed to achieve the stage finish having misplaced 39.5s.

It was sufficient to drop Neuville from the result in sixth general as Ogier moved again into the lead after topping the instances in stage 4, regardless of shedding his entrance left tyre in direction of the top of the stage.

“Truthfully for the time being there is no such thing as a drama, we misplaced 39s and we have to goal a great street place for tomorrow and that’s the solely factor we are able to do. If luck isn’t on our aspect we received’t have the ability to make it occur,” Neuville informed Motorsport.com.

“There’s a huge threat of puncturing so it’s the identical for everybody. It’s a lottery, all of the tyres are broken.

“Hanging mud was an issue this morning and we may see we have been shedding a while. It’s a downside we all know however we simply maintain performing as whether it is nothing.”

Contemplating his street place, Ogier declared his begin to the rally as “excellent” regardless of the puncture.

“I am very happy. It has been an ideal begin for us. I’m actually proud of my driving and the way now we have managed it. It was very tough within the final stage however it’s only a style of what’s to return,” Ogier informed Motorsport.com.

“Fortunately the puncture got here 200 metres from the stage end, so we didn’t lose any time.”

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta was the primary to select up a puncture in stage two and was rapidly adopted by M-Sport pair Josh McErlean and Martins Sesks. Katsuta and McErlean misplaced two minutes stopping to alter wheels whereas Sesks continued on his deflated rubber, shedding 1m33s. 9 WRC2 runners have been compelled to cease with tyre points.

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photograph by: Pink Bull Content material Pool

The second cross of the stage supplied much more torture for the tyres as championship chief Elfyn Evans, Tanak, Sami Pajari, McErlean and his M-Sport team-mate Gregoire Munster picked up punctures or tyre injury.

Fourmaux, who received stage three, was among the many few to keep away from tyre bother having executed his finest to try to keep away from the roughest sections of the levels. The Frenchman is hopeful that he’ll obtain time again from the officers after getting caught within the mud of a delayed Katsuta in stage two.

“Within the final one I made a decision to handle the tough elements as a result of the street was destroyed so I used to be actually cautious avoiding rocks and going exterior of the road. I used to be shedding time however it was okay, that is how I need to handle it,” Fourmaux informed Motorsport.com.

Heading into the afternoon levels Toyota’s Pajari held fourth [+27.5s] forward of Kalle Rovanpera, who struggled to seek out the steadiness in his GR Yaris [+32.4s].

Evans discovered the going robust opening there street earlier than struggling a steering concern brought on by an influence, which left the championship chief in seventh, with Munster the highest M-Sport runner in eighth. Oliver Solberg loved a trouble-free run to prime the WRC2 discipline in ninth.