On the final day of the Acropolis Rally Greece 2021, the Greek Gods sent rain. The long-awaited return of this iconic rally had certainly delivered unexpected conditions, couple this with significant improvements to the roads used on the event; made for an entirely different rally to what it has been synonymous with in the past.
Therefore I don’t think one should compare today’s event to the rough, tough and dusty rally, that the drivers of the past had to endure, but it was certainly a welcome return to the World Championship.
The second full day of the Acropolis rally began with just 3.8 seconds separating the top 3, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä was leading Ott Tänak with Sébastien Ogier close behind in third.
The opening test of the day, SS7 Pavliani was 24km long but the early morning conditions made for a moist surface and some likened the stage to perhaps more like Rally Chile rather than Greece. Rovanperä opened up the morning by beating Tänak by 5.6 seconds to take his first stage win of the day.
The first full day of action at the Acropolis Rally Greece featured just five stages over approx 90km; but there was no service halt. The conditions since Thursdays Shakedown had improved overnight and were more typical of what is to be expected on this legendary rally, in that, it was now hot and dry.
The opening Aghil test was 17.5km in length and was the only stage on the days’ route with double usage. Hyundai’s Ott Tänak took that first stage win beating current Championship leader and overnight rally leader Sébastien Ogier by just 0.2 seconds. Title Challenger hopeful, Thierry Neuville was well off the pace on this first test; some +10 seconds.
After an 8 year absence, the Acropolis Rally Greece also known as “The Rally Of The Gods” has returned to the FIA World Rally Championships for the 9th round of the 2021 season.
First held in 1953, The Acropolis was one of the original founding members of the WRC back in 1973. This iconic rally last ran as part of the World Series back in 2013, where current Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Boss Jari-Matti Latvala won in the VW Polo. It is typically known as a rough, tough, hot and dry gravel rally. However, just days before the rally was due to start, heavy rain hit the stages leaving them not only wet but thick with mud, something one would expect to see on Rally GB.
Just a week on from the opening round of the 2021 Pro Tyres Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championships on the Welsh Epynt ranges, the series moved just across the border and into England for some action on closed roads.
The Cheltenham Motor Club organised, Hills Ford Three Shires Stages based around Ledbury, with its 14 stages covering 105km, offered up an exciting challenge for the second round of the Championship. With its opening ceremony in the centre of Ledbury on Saturday evening, rallying was once again brought right to the publics doorstep.
Following the unfortunate cancellation of the Plains Rally, the Event Signs Woodpecker stages hosted Round 3 of the 2021 MRF TYRES BTRDA Rally Series.
Organised by the Sixty and Worcester Motor Club, this ever-popular rally which first ran in 1983 and whose home has been Ludlow since 1988 was now in its 37th year. Whizz forward to the present day and fresh challenges were thrown the way of the organising team which required not only a rethink but a whole heap of effort to ensure that the event could even run.
The second half of the BTCC season got underway at the weekend at Thruxton. The championship paying its second visit there this season after hosting the season opener. Ash Sutton came into the event leading the championship, hotly pursued by Tom Ingram.
The 2021 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship finally got underway with the opening round, The Old Forge Garage Mewla Rally. After an enforced break from the action last year when the entire Championship was cancelled due to the global pandemic of COVID. The old saying of “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” was fitting here, as everyone was itching to get back out on the stages.
Organised by the Epynt Motor Club, the Mewla rally held the honours of restarting the National Asphalt Series over the ever-popular Epynt Military ranges in Powys, Wales. A fitting location for the first round, which offered up approx 65 miles over 9 stages on a rather pleasant sunny day.
Andretti United Autosport become the first team to defeat Rosberg X Racing and win in Extreme E.
The Andretti United Autosport pair of Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen held off the challenge of Rosberg X Racing and JBXE Racing to secure their first Extreme E victory.
They also became just the second team to win an Extreme E event after RXR won the first two rounds of the electric racing championship.
The FIA European Rally Championship headed to Zlín in the Czech Republic for Round 4 of the 2021 season. Having been a part of the ERC for no less than 16 years, this years edition of the Czech rally was the 50th and once again offered up a challenging test across 15 Asphalt stages which covered some 210km.
Before the rally had even begun there was early drama for defending ERC champion and title contender Alexey Lukyanuk. The Russian suffered a sizable crash during pre-event testing which rendered his Citroen C3 out of action. Unable to repair the damage or find a replacement car ahead of the rally, he was left with no option but to sit out the rally, a terrible blow to his title defence.
