Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai) won Rally Greece on Sunday afternoon, the tenth of thirteen rounds of the WRC world championship. With three events to go, Neuville has a comfortable 34-point lead over his closest pursuer and Estonian team-mate Ott Tänak.
Before the rally started, it was announced that the 2024 Acropolis Rally could be the toughest in recent years, and it was. Of the nine Rally1s, only the three Hyundai cars crossed the finish line without much damage. All the others had to retire or crossed the finish line with heavy delays.
Neuville was delighted with his second victory of the season, the 21st of his career. After having some mechanical problems on Friday morning, Neuville drove a faultless race, without taking any risks in the process. On Sunday afternoon, Frenchman Sébastien Ogier was the victim of an accident.
“I saw a car stopped but I didn’t know it was him. When I asked Martijn 2 km further on and got confirmation, I took my foot off the accelerator and took into account only the fact of finishing safely. It was a difficult weekend. Since Saturday morning, we knew that we had no room for error and that we had to keep a good pace. We strictly stuck to the pre-established plan. This approach worked. I am proud of my team, who did a fantastic job.”
In addition to Saturday’s 18 points, the Belgian scored four points in the standings on Sunday and two more in the powerstage. Neuville leaves Greece with 24 points, bringing his total to 192, taking a big step towards the title.
