Toyota loses for the first time this season – Tänak wins in the heat of Greece: He even had to fight for it on the final stage
Ott Tänak has mastered the extreme heat and unforgiving terrain of the Acropolis Rally Greece in Greece and secured Hyundai’s first WRC victory since October 2024 with an impressive performance in the seventh round of the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC).
The Estonian prevailed in a thrilling duel with Sebastien Ogier in the Toyota and won by 32.8 seconds. It was Hyundai’s first victory in eight months and also ended Toyota’s winning streak: the Japanese had won all of the first six WRC races of the 2025 season.
With Adrien Fourmaux (+3:09.8 minutes) securing his second podium finish of the year, Hyundai even achieved a one-two victory. For Tänak, it was his first victory since returning to Hyundai and an important step in the World Championship battle.
Scorching heat, flat tires, and a battle of materials
The rally was marked by extreme temperatures, with up to 70 degrees Celsius measured in the cockpits. The hot gravel, combined with the new Hankook tires introduced this season, resulted in a veritable tire massacre. Tänak was one of the few drivers to complete all 17 stages without any major tire damage or technical problems.
Tänak was already neck and neck with Ogier at the start in Athens. On Friday afternoon, he was 6.1 seconds behind the Frenchman before taking the lead after the sixth special stage (SS). Despite balance problems in the Hyundai i20 N, Tänak was able to maintain his lead.
Fourmaux drove strongly on Friday, winning three stages and even overtaking Ogier. But a slip in SS10 destroyed his right rear wheel and cost him over a minute – his dream of a first WRC victory was over.
Saturday will decide the duel between Tänak and Ogier
As in the last two rallies, Tänak and Ogier fought a thrilling duel. Tänak won five of the six stages on Saturday and built up a comfortable lead of 43.6 seconds.
On Sunday, Tänak had to complete the Power Stage with a gearbox problem. Nevertheless, he secured victory. Ogier, on the other hand, scored the maximum ten Super Sunday points with a strong time.
Elfyn Evans (Toyota) was the first to take to the track on Friday and had to contend with the worst conditions. Without any major problems, he secured fourth place at the finish and retained the World Championship lead with a nine-point advantage over Ogier. Tänak is only twelve points behind.
Thierry Neuville (Neuville), who had been leading after SS3, fell back after two consecutive punctures. He finished fifth in the end, despite further problems with the shock absorber and engine on Sunday.
Gregoire Munster (M-Sport-Ford) retired while in sixth place due to a fuel problem. Sami Pajari and Martins Sesks also had to retire with similar problems. The FIA is investigating the defects, which apparently affected all Rally1 teams.
Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) had a weekend to forget: two flat tires, a slip, and damage to the drive shaft. He finished with just four points from the Power Stage. Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) lost his top-five finish due to a driving error, while Josh McErlean (Ford) finished outside the points after a suspension failure.
Roadside repairs Josh McErlean is replacing a rear suspension arm after clipping a bank in the final corners of Saturday’s opening stageWRC | AcropolisRally pic.twitter.com/77uCPcRbLl
— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) June 28, 2025
Oliver Solberg survived all the stages without a flat tire and won the WRC2 classification in convincing fashion – even finishing sixth in the overall standings.
At the halfway point of the 2025 WRC season, Evans continues to lead the drivers’ championship with 150 points. Ogier remains his closest rival (140 points), with Tänak just behind with 138 points. In the manufacturers’ standings, Toyota maintained its lead with 358 points ahead of Hyundai (293).
The 2025 World Rally Championship continues in three weeks with Rally Estonia (July 17-20), a fast gravel rally and home race for Acropolis winner Tänak.