Preview: Acropolis Rally.

The World Rally Championship is currently in the midst of a trio of back-to-back Mediterranean events and following the Rally d'Italia Sardegna, next up is the legendary Acropolis Rally of Greece - one of the oldest and most prestigious rounds in the series.

The all-gravel event has changed beyond recognition since it was first run as an asphalt rally in 1951, but the traditional start at the Acropolis - the most famous monument in Athens - remains.

This year, the rally has a brand-new base in the Tatoi Military Area, just north of Athens city centre. The stages however are largely unchanged from last year, and as always they have a fearsome reputation.

Special notes:

Rocky mountain tracks, punishing heat and physically demanding cockpit conditions are the hallmarks of the Acropolis, widely regarded as the toughest challenge in the WRC.

Success in Greece, round seven of the 15-event series and one of the championship's classic fixtures, demands a blend of strength, reliability and speed.

The Acropolis Rally's gravel speed tests west of Athens have a fearsome reputation. Cars must withstand severe punishment from loose rocks, which litter the surface of the mountain tracks as well as hard bedrock which forms the base of the roads.

Air temperatures often exceed 30?C, placing high demands on engines and gearboxes and because the winding roads and hairpins make this a relatively slow rally (only Argentina was slower in 2007), there is little cooling from the through-flow of air.

Drivers, too, can expect a tough time for the same reasons. There is no cooling inside the cars during special stages so cockpit temperatures are high and fitness plays a crucial role.

A regular fluid intake is also vital to stave off dehydration and ensure drivers and co-drivers operate at peak performance.

FIA World Rally Championship news:

Mikko Hirvonen remains in the lead in the race for the 2008 drivers' title following his runners-up spot on the Rally d'Italia Sardegna two weeks ago.

Mikko's lead though was cut from 5 points to 3, as his chief championship rival Sebastien Loeb won the event and took the maximum 10 points. Chris Atkinson stays third in the standings, although Mikko and Seb both pull further ahead.

In the Manufacturers' championship the BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT stays top, maintaining its 7 points lead over the Citroen Total WRT.

There have been a number of developments since the last round, although the main talking point is the fact that Subaru World Rally Team will use its new car in Greece [see below].

News from the Manufacturers' teams:

Citroen Total WRT:

[Sebastien Loeb, car #1 and Daniel Sordo, car #2]

Loeb wants fifth win of year.

Sebastien Loeb will be aiming for the victory again on the Acropolis Rally of Greece. Loeb took his fourth win of the season and the 40th of his WRC career in Sardinia and now the Frenchman is keen to get another maximum haul and further close the gap to Mikko Hirvonen, who is just three points in front in the race for the 2008 drivers' title.

"It's true, I like round numbers, but I have nothing against adding to our current tally of forty WRC wins, especially since that would mean we are competitive and fighting for the title," stated the four-time world champion.

"In Sardinia, we succeeded in closing the gap with our rival, and the Acropolis Rally could be a good chance to reduce the deficit further still."

Seb has taken in the Acropolis Rally seven times to date and as such he has plenty of experience of it. He has also had a number of strong results, including winning it in 2005, as well as finishing second in 2007, 2006 and 2004.

Despite that run of success though, he doesn't especially like it and the fact it can be so punishing doesn't please him.

It may be even more hazardous this season too without any anti-deflation devices, although he is hopeful the Pirelli tyres will be able to stand up to the punishment as they did on the Rally d'Italia.

"It's not my favourite rally. These rough roads make the cars suffer, and that's not something I like," he added.

"The fact that we now have to run without run-flat mousse in our tyres could also see the 2008 event turn out to be something of a lottery, although we saw in Sardinia that the Pirelli Scorpion Hard is capable of soaking up the knocks.

"Let's hope that will be the case again in Greece where we will be aiming for first place."

Citroen Sport's technical manager Xavier Mestelan-Pinon meanwhile is more than aware that the team has only ever won in Greece once. He also knows the event is extremely gruelling.

Like Seb however, he reckons they should be able to challenge for 'gold' and he would dearly love to see the C4 WRC came out top.

"The Acropolis Rally hasn't been particularly kind to us over the years," he continued. "Not only is its terrain very demanding but it is also extremely humbling. Several cumulative parameters need to be taken into account, from the hard-packed surface to the high speeds, heat and dust, etc. It's a cocktail that really puts the suspension and tyres to the test.

"We prepared for this year's Acropolis in Greece near Livadia in April and, as is always the case, our C4s will benefit from our latest developments. We hope to be able to challenge for victory."

BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT:

[Mikko Hirvonen, car #3 and Jari-Matti Latvala, car #4 and Khalid Al Qassimi, car #14]

Hirvonen expects Greece to be tough.

Mikko Hirvonen believes that it is going to be 'very difficult' for him on the Acropolis Rally of Greece this Friday when he will again have to run first in the order.

Hirvonen, who gets that 'privilege' as he is currently top in the drivers' championship, was disappointed with his pace on the first leg in Sardinia and finished day one almost a minute off the lead.

Despite eventually taking the runners-up spot there, he conceded at the end that he will need to do better on the seventh round in the World Rally Championship and he will be hoping to try and minimise the time lost from having to sweep away the loose gravel.

"I need to improve my first day times a lot when I am first on the road, and I am working on that," he noted. "Hopefully I can learn to drive the first day like Seb [Loeb] and Marcus [Gronholm] did last year, but Greece will be very difficult."

The 27-year-old, who finished third in Greece last year and in 2006, will be making his sixth start on the Athens-based event this week and with Ford having won the Acropolis six times in the last eight years he should be right up there and in contention for the win.

"The Acropolis is usually the hottest rally in the championship but having been to Jordan last month where temperatures were close to 40?C, I don't think we will experience that kind of heat here," he continued

"Although Jordan was also abrasive, I think Greece will be more so. There are plenty of loose rocks, especially during the second pass of stages, and the road base is hard bedrock. That's why the rally has earned its reputation as a car-breaker.

"The conditions are tough on cars and tyres but I'm not worried about either. The Focus RS has proved its strength many times. Pirelli's tyres have also been remarkably strong this year with few punctures."

Jari-Matti Latvala meanwhile, fresh from having won ten of the 17 stages in Sardinia, is aiming to show a similar turn of speed on the seventh round in the WRC.

Latvala, who has scored 24 points so far this season, has already won one event this year and with two other podiums also in the bag, the 23-year-old will again be gunning for a place on the rostrum.

Furthermore while the Acropolis didn't go to plan last season and he lost out on the two passes over the 48.88 kilometre Agii Theodori test on the Saturday, picking up four punctures in total and losing nearly twelve minutes, he is glad that this year the organisers have split it into two.

Greece also holds some very good memories for him as he made his World Rally Car debut in a Focus RS on the event back in 2003, when he was just 18.

"That was a very special moment," recalled the Finn. "It was only my second world rally and I was so tired from the heat because it was a new experience for me in the hot conditions. My car was totally reliable and I finished 10th, which at 18 years old was amazing.

"This will be my fifth start in Greece but I expect it to be just as tough. Last year's rally contained a 48km stage which gave us difficulties with tyres.

"This year that test has been split into two so it should be easier for tyres, cars and drivers. My podium in Italy has given me great confidence after Argentina and Jordan weren't so good for me, and I believe I can take that pace to Greece."

Subaru WRT:

[Petter Solberg, car #5 and Chris Atkinson, car #6]

Subaru to begin new chapter as team gears up for first event with new car.

Subaru boss David Richards has said that he is confident the team will be able to take a 'very positive step forward' on the Acropolis Rally, when the outfit debuts its all-new Impreza WRC2008.

Testing with the Impreza WRC2008, billed as the most 'radically different Subaru World Rally Car in 15 years', has gone well in recent months and so much so that the hatchback is being rolled out earlier than initially planned.

The launch couldn't come at a better time for the Banbury-based squad either as the recent Rally d'Italia Sardegna exposed just how far behind WRC2008's predecessor was to the Citroen C4 WRC and the Ford Focus RSWRC07, with Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson both well off the pace.

While some have questioned the logic of launching the car in Greece, especially as it is now regarded as the 'Safari' of the WRC, with a real reputation as a car breaker, Richards remains convinced it is the right decision to use it now, rather than wait until after the summer break.

"The Acropolis will see a very different Subaru World Rally Team as we return to full strength upon the debut of our new car," he stated. "Whilst a very different look and direction for us, the WRC2008 is instantly recognisable as a Subaru and I am sure will continue the marque's iconic heritage.

"I am confident of a very positive step forward in our pace in Greece, despite it being the toughest event of the year, and moreover its debut heralds a new chapter in the team's illustrious history."

Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson meanwhile are both looking forward to getting their hands on the new machine.

"We finished third here last year and this time we have the new car, so I'll be really pushing for a strong result," Petter vowed. "It's a very difficult event; very rocky and hot, and the stages have always been very rough so it's hard on us and the cars.

"We've had a few days in the new car now, so I have a good feeling from it and really hope that we'll be in a good position to fight at the front. I'll be at 110 per cent, definitely."

Chris Atkinson is also happy: "It's the first time out in a new car so it's very exciting but you're always a little cautious! If the feeling's good I'll be pushing straight away," he continued. "There's no reason not to, and obviously I'm looking forward to the opportunity to see where we are with the car.

"We know it's going to be a very tough event as there are so many variables, so it won't be easy but I hope we can take another step in the right direction and start to close up to the frontrunners."

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally team:

[Gigi Galli, car #7 and Henning Solberg, car #8 and Matthew Wilson, car #16]

Stobart trio up for Greek challenge.

After finding a level he was happy with on his home event earlier this month, Stobart Ford's Gigi Galli now wants to continue his electric gravel form on the Acropolis Rally.

Galli managed to increase his tally to 17 points following his fourth place finish in Sardinia and he will be after another strong finish on the Acropolis to try and close the gap to Dani Sordo, who is fifth in the drivers' championship - four points in front.

While this will be only Gigi's third attempt at the Greek event - and he last competed on it back in 2005 when he finished seventh, the Italian did the reconnaissance in both 2006 and 2007 and that should help to diminish the disadvantage he will be at having missed the round these last two years.

"I am looking forward to the Greece Rally as we found a good level of consistency in Sardinia and hopefully it will be possible to keep this going," he noted.

"Although I haven't competed in this event for a few years, we did the recce for the last two years and so have a good understanding of the stages and the rocky conditions.

"Even so it is still sure to be a tough event, the stages are rough and demanding and I expect the temperatures to be hotter than in Sardinia. It's definitely going to be a hard test for the car, crew and the Pirelli tyres, but I'm confident we are all up to the challenge."

Galli's team-mates Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson meanwhile are both looking to do better in Greece after pretty lacklustre results in Sardinia two weeks ago.

Henning, who was having another 'guest' run under the Munchi's banner in Italy, brought his Focus RS WRC07 home in seventh place, but the 'Expert' man wants to break into the top-five this Sunday, something he has only achieved twice this year - in Mexico and Jordan.

"I like the rough conditions on this rally and generally enjoy the event; it is very challenging," said the Norwegian, who will once again be nominated to score manufacturers' points for the Ford 'B' team.

"We didn't have a good event in Sardinia and we plan to improve on that pace. The good thing about the next two rallies is that they are close together. Because we don't get testing it takes a while for me to settle into a good rhythm at the start of a rally but with events close together it means we can be faster right from the start.

"So my confidence is better for this rally and I am aiming for a top-five finish. That would be good and would give me some more important points for the championship."

Matthew Wilson also wants to improve on how things went two weeks ago and that shouldn't be difficult as the Rally d'Italia didn't go well, with the Englishman struggling home in twelfth.

He will be in the 'third' car this weekend and as such won't have the pressure of worrying about getting team points.

"Sardinia wasn't the greatest event for us so in Greece we will look to improve and get back to the pace we had on previous gravel rallies this year. The route it is not much different to last year which is going to be good for us," he added.

Munchi's Ford WRT:

[Federico Villagra, car #9 and Aris Vovos, car #10]

Local hero joins Munch's team for Greece.

Federico Villagra will be joined by local legend Aris Vovos on the Acropolis Rally and the squad will be looking to make the most of his home knowledge.

Thus far the Munchi's outfit has managed to notch up points on every single event and has 16 points on the board - two more than achieved last year, and to date it has only done four of its ten scheduled outings.

Villagra competed in Greece for the first time in 2007 and he was going reasonably well, considering it was only his second event in a WRC car, until a clutch issue on day two forced him to SupeRally and he lost a chunk of time.

While the last round in Sardinia didn't exactly go to plan for 'Coyote' and he only finished 14th, he is now keen to try and finish in the top eight again, as he managed on his first three events.

"We had a good rally in Greece last year and it's an event that I like quite a lot," said Federico. "For sure the rally will be hard work, it will be hot and sunny and the stages take a lot of energy from the driver; last year there was a very long stage in which many people had problems. The event usually throws up some surprises.

"But I think it will benefit us to be doing another rally quite close after the last one as the feeling of the car is still in my head and our confidence is good after Sardinia.

"The focus is still on finishing the rally without any problems and if we can do that it will be a good opportunity to collect more points for both me and the Munchi's team. I will be able to get some tips from my team-mate for this rally, who is a local driver and will know the conditions well."

Aris Vovos meanwhile will be taking in his first WRC event in the 2008 championship and having benefited from a recent test in the Focus RS WRC07 is hopeful that he can do well.

Indeed he has done the event 13 times under WRC status since 1993, notching up his best result in 2004, when he was eighth. He will now want to try and replicate that, although he reckons the role of the tyres could be crucial.

"The Acropolis rally has always been the most important event of our annual programme. Therefore I have to admit that I am a little excited, especially this year that we will be using a top line car and we have no excuse on not performing well in front of our fans," he added.

"Ten days ago we had a test in Sardinia in order to familiarise ourselves with the Focus WRC07 and in order to set it up according to our needs. At the beginning of the test I found the car far away from my driving style, but thanks to Roman Kresta's assistance we have managed to come to a very good result.

"I am now looking forward to driving the car in the stages that we know well. I believe that the Pirelli tyres are very strong this year, but they will be the key factor in this year's event."

Suzuki WRT:

[Toni Gardemeister, car #11 and Per-Gunnar Andersson, car #12]

Suzuki still after a two-car finish.

Suzuki boss Nobuhiro Tajima has reiterated that he wants to see his team try and get both cars to the finish on the Acropolis Rally, something the outfit has struggled so far to do.

While reliability has undeniably been an issue with the SX4 WRC this season and it has only finished on four out of twelve attempts, the last event in Sardinia was encouraging and Per-Gunnar Andersson had a faultless run to finish ninth and pick up the final manufacturers' point.

Tajima now wants to see further progress and while the Greek event is renowned as a car killer and has a fearsome reputation, modifications have been made to the SX4 WRC to enable it to cope with the rough conditions, including increasing the under-floor protection and making improvements to the cooling system, as ambient temperatures are expected to be high.

"When we embarked upon our debut season this year, we knew from the beginning that it would be very tough - and this has been amply proved," said Tajima.

"But it is only by confronting the most challenging conditions that we will make progress. For many years the Acropolis Rally has been considered to be one of the most demanding events on the calendar, so we are eagerly awaiting this next challenge near Athens.

"Our objective remains to get both cars into the points, although this is a big task. In order to help us achieve this, our drivers will need to remember that the most important thing is always to get to the finish, by continuing the mature and measured approach they have adopted all year."

Toni Gardemeister and Per-Gunnar Andersson meanwhile have both confirmed that they will tackle the seventh round of the World Rally Championship in Athens with caution.

Gardemeister has competed on the Acropolis six times and while he missed it last year, he was fourth in 2006 and second in 2005. That experience should help him as he tries to put an end to a run of four successive DNFs.

"The Acropolis is a rally that I have always liked, but along with most rallies these days it is more of a sprint event than the marathon it used to be," said the Finn. "If we have the strength and reliability that we are aiming for, then it could actually be a rally that suits our car because the most important thing is to be there at the finish.

"I think we will approach the rally in much the same way as we did in Sardinia: there is no point in pushing flat-out everywhere. We learnt a lot in Sardinia, so hopefully in Greece we can finish in the points."

P-G Andersson, like Gardemeister, did not take in this event last year, but he did do it in 2005 and 2004 as part of his JWRC programme. While the results were mixed - he rolled out in '04 and won the Junior class in '05 - he is also focused on getting to the end.

"Although I've been to Greece before, I've never done the stages around Athens, as when I competed on the rally previously all the stages were near Lamia - a long way to the west of Athens," he added.

"Sardinia though was a very positive experience for both myself and the whole team so our aim is to repeat that in Greece. I'll just be taking it carefully and driving around the biggest rocks.

"It's never the easiest event and I've had some very different experiences of the Acropolis, but I think for any driver - actually, for the whole team - it's a real challenge."

Production WRC:

Round 3.

Jari Ketomaa currently leads the way in the Production World Rally Championship, following his second place finish in Sweden and a third place finish in Argentina, the last round in the series, back at the end of March.

The Finn will however, have his work cut to hang onto top spot this weekend, as all of the PWRC runners - except one - have nominated the Acropolis to score points on. There are also two 'guest' entries, boosting the total number of drivers' in the category to 29.

Ketomaa is still aiming high though and despite his inexperience wants a top-four finish: "The rally will be interesting for sure. The conditions are new for me, compared to rallies like those of Finland and Sweden. I am looking forward to the event," he noted.

"I would like to be in the top four, but let's see first what the speed will be, how we can get on and how the car handles, because obviously the roads are rougher compared to what I'm used to. This stage was good but we have to be careful not to break the car."

Andreas Aigner won last time out, taking his maiden win in the PWRC and he lies joint second in the PWRC drivers' championship, 4 points further back, just like Juho Hanninen, who won the first round.

"We are coming to Greece with loads of confidence. I can't wait for the rally, last year's result [when I finished second] is giving me all the extra motivation I need," noted Aigner.

"The forthcoming pair of races, starting in Greece and then in Turkey are of absolutely huge importance to me. I want to pick up some important points for the team in both places."

"The rally is slow, quite rough, but I like it," added Hanninen. "There are a lot of fast drivers and the competition is getting higher and higher. Now, there are fast new guys, such as Ketomaa. My target is to finish in the top-three."

Other contenders meanwhile include two-time PWRC champion, Toshi Arai, as well as 2006 PWRC champion Nassar Al-Attiyah.

Arai is keeping his hopes in check though as he is still adjusting to the new Impreza: "I had many problems in Argentina, so I need to check a lot of things here," he confirmed. "I need the data, and I want to finish. It's a new car for us."

Other regulars such as Fumoio Natahara, Armindo Araujo, Mirco Baldacci and Spyros Pavlides should also figure.

"The Greek rally is very difficult," continued Nutahara. "The surface is hard and there are many rocks. But for me it is good to be here, I'm very happy. I want to have a good result."

"I hope this year to do better than the last year, when I retired just two stages before the end due to engine problems," added Araujo. "I like the Acropolis Rally and I hope to finish. The best for me will be to finish in top three, because I need to make to gain some points for the championship."

Then there is Patrik Sandell in his Peugeot 207 S2000 and Martin Prokop, who are also both competing in the JWRC this season, as well as Travis Pastrana, Bernardo Sousa, Loris Baldacci, Martin Rauam and so on and on.

"This is the first time in Greece both for me and for a Super 2000 car," noted Sandell. "We want, first of all, to have good recce and a good shakedown. We want to be next to the top and we'll make some changes, so as to find the right set-up. We don't know many things about the car in this rally, because it is its first time here, but we will see."

Other significant entries:

62 crews set to start.

62 crews are due to start round seven - 17 of which will be in World Rally Cars, with all the manufacturer teams' represented.

In addition to the usual 'works' entries, Conrad Rautenbach and Urmo Aava will both be at the wheel of PH Sport-run Citroen C4 WRCs, while Mads Ostberg will compete in an Adapta-run Subaru Impreza.

Rautenbach, who had handbrake problems on days one and two in Sardinia, is hoping he be right up there on the Acropolis.

"The Acropolis Rally is all about heat, dust and tough stages. Coming from Africa, that's right up my street. I've always enjoyed the Acropolis - it's a real challenge," said the 23-year-old.

"What would be great in Greece is three days of consistent performance from the car. We struggled a bit with that in Sardinia. But, on the last day [in Sardinia] I was in a rhythm and feeling good. If we can put together three Sardinian Sundays on the Acropolis, that would suit me fine - and it would give us the chance to be right up there."

Of the rest, in addition to the 29 PWRC runners, another 16 runners will also take in the round, including twelve more in Group N cars, two in the A6 class and two in the A5 class.

Route:

For the third consecutive year, the rally has a new base. It will be centred at the military airport of Tatoi, 20km north of the centre of Athens. The airfield hosted a stage of the rally in 1975 and this year will also be home to a gravel super special stage on Friday evening and the rally's finale on Sunday afternoon.

Also new for 2008 is the start ceremony at the famous Acropolis, high above the city and for many years the traditional start location.

The route itself is broadly similar to 2007. The opening leg heads north and west of Athens, and contains the only all-new test of the rally. The second day is the longest of the event and takes competitors west of the city, passing close to the Corinth Canal. The final day is again north-west of the city before the finish ceremony at Tatoi. Drivers tackle 20 tests covering approximately 339.94 kilometres in a total route of 1311.32 kilometres.

Last year:

Marcus Gronholm won the Acropolis Rally last year, having taken over the lead from Chris Atkinson towards the end of day one.

The Finn then proceeded to increase his advantage on Saturday so that he went into the final leg with a 40-odd second lead. He eventually beat Sebastien Loeb by 38.6 seconds, while Petter Solberg secured the final place on the podium for Subaru.

Next up was Mikko Hirvonen, who survived a big off on SS10, while Stobart Ford's Henning Solberg came in fifth. Atkinson was sixth having dropped back on day two following a puncture and a driveshaft problem, followed by Skoda privateer, Jan Kopecky and OMV Kronos' Manfred Stohl. Guy Wilks and Matthew Wilson rounded out the top ten.

A number of drivers had problems during the event most noticeably Citroen's Dani Sordo and Munchi's Ford's Federico Villagra, who finished 24th and 32nd respectively under the SupeRally format.