© AFP
Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) will start the Rally of Greece with ambition on Thursday. Last year the duo won the tough and challenging rally. Their first ambition for this edition is to finish on the podium. If successful, it will be their third consecutive podium after the rallies of Estonia and Finland, their fourth in five rallies.
In addition to Neuville and Wydaeghe, other Belgians will also be at the start, including Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka (Ford Fiesta MKII).
It will be Neuville’s fifth participation in this competition on Thursday. During his four previous participations, he finished on the podium twice. In 2013, the Belgian finished third. In 2022 he won the competition. “The Acropolis is one of the tougher rallies of the season,” says Neuville. “It is an endurance race spread over three days, three different areas and three different types of classification stages with the same characteristics: rough conditions and high temperatures. You need a strong and reliable car that is also properly adjusted. Being able to sit comfortably in the car in all circumstances makes it easier to be fast. Last year we were much stronger than our competitors and finished on the podium with all Hyundais. It was a great team performance. Hopefully we can repeat that.”
At Ford we see quite a few Belgians at the start. Nicolas Gilsoul is the co-driver of Pierre-Louis Loubet (Ford Puma Rally1). For the time being, the duo cannot live up to expectations. Jourdan Serderidis (Ford Puma Rally1) cannot and should not be missing in his home rally. The Greek businessman, who lives in Belgium, forms a team with Frederic Miclotte, who finished third as a driver in the Aarova Rally last month. Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka take their places behind the wheel of their Fiesta again. For a while anyway, because in the rallies of Chile and Central Europe, Jourdan Serderidis will be making his Puma Rally1 available to the duo who will be entering a Rally1 for the first time in their career. “I’m looking forward to going back to Greece. We also drove there last year,” says Munster. “We have now completed a few gravel rallies with the Fiesta and confidence is growing.”
Tom Rensonnet and Loïc Dumont (Ford Fiesta Rally3) defend the colors of the RACB National Team in WRC3. Finally, Filip Pyck and Peter Dehouck (Ford Fiesta) are also entered.