Neuville leads after Stage 1, Rovanpera 8th

Belgian Thierry Neuville (Huindai) set the fastest time in the first stage of the Acropolis Rally, round 10 of the WRC World Rally Championship in Athens (Greece) on Thursday night, with championship leader Fincalero Vampera eighth. was.

Neuville moved ahead of three other Hyundai drivers, WRC2’s Finn Thiem Suninen, third-placed Spaniard Dani Sordo and fourth-placed Estonian Ott Tänak.

Day one’s only short 1.95km stage was held at the Olympic Stadium in Athens and was primarily a warm-up for the competitors.

9-time world champion in this category, French Sebastian LoebReturning to Greece for one season was seventh behind Rovanpera.

The Finn has already won five rallies this season and leads the championship with 203 points. By comparison, second-placed Ott his Tänak on his 131 points and Great Britain’s Elfyn Evans (Toyota) on his 116 points, placing him 15th on Thursday night.

The 21-year-old prodigy is mathematically likely to become the youngest world champion on Sunday.

“This is highly unlikely to happen,” he said Thursday. “Ott has shown pace in recent events and he will continue to do so here,” he continued.

The rally continues this Friday with 6 stages during the day and finishes with 16 stages on Sunday.

classification

first day

1. Thierry Neuville-Martin Wideghe (BEL/Hyundai) 1:58.4
2. Teemu Sunninen-Mikko Markkula (FIN/Hyundai/WRC2) 0″1
3. Dani Sordo Candido Carrera (ESP/Hyundai) 1″0
4. Ott Tänak-Martin Järveoja (EST/Hyundai) 1″1
5. Emil Lindholm-Reeta Hämäläinen (FIN/Skoda Fabia/WRC2) 1″2
…..
7. Sébastien Loeb-Isabelle Garmisch (FRA/M-Sport Ford) 1″3
8. Kalle Rovanperä-Jonne Halttunen (FIN/Toyota) 1″5
10. Esapekka Lappi-Janne Ferm (FIN/Toyota) 1″8
15. Elfyn Evans – Scott Martin (GBR/Toyota) at 2″8