With just two weeks between World Rally Championship events, drivers and teams face one of the most endurance-sapping challenges on their calendar with this weekend’s BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally, the seventh round of the 2008 season, running 29 May to 1 June.

One of the oldest events in the history of world rallying, the Acropolis Rally is famed for its arduous road conditions and climate extremes. Rocky roads through twisting mountainous countryside are the ultimate test to a car’s durability while the crews face searing temperatures and choking dust.

Leading the current driver standings by three points after a consistent performance in Sardinia in the middle of May, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver Mikko Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen will again lead the field for the first of the competition’s three days.

“The Acropolis is usually the hottest rally in the championship but having been to Jordan last month where temperatures were close to 40ºC, I don't think we will experience that kind of heat here," said the 28-year old Finn. “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.”

A fortnight on from his record 40th World Rally Championship event victory, defending champion Sébastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena will be hot favourites.

"In Sardinia, we succeeded in closing the (championship) gap with our rival, and the Acropolis Rally could be a good chance to reduce the deficit further still,” said the Frenchman. “It's not my favourite rally. These rough roads make the cars suffer, and that's not something I like. 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.”

The Subaru World Rally Team launches its keenly awaited Impreza WRC2008 hatchback, running two of the brand-new cars for Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson, who holds third place in the WRC standings.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to see where we are with the car,” said Atkinson, who adds he’s excited, whilst being a little cautious, about the first time out in the new car.

Subaru has been testing the new generation Impreza WRC2008 car for some time with operations director Paul Howarth commenting: “We’ve done a considerable amount of endurance mileage with the new car. The rally is bound to throw up new challenges to those we’ve faced in testing, and it’s an event likely to throw up surprises, but it’s a good tough weekend to quickly highlight areas in which we can fine-tune and continue to improve.”

Based at the military airport base of Tatoi 20km north of Athens, the rally’s headquarters location incorporates the service park and super special stage. Starting from the famous Acropolis high above the city on the Thursday evening, Friday’s opening day of competition heads north and west of Athens for seven gravel tests. Saturday’s action sees teams head west for a repeat loop of three stages before a final three repeated tests on Sunday conclude with the 4km Tatoi super special stage. All teams must use the specified Pirelli Scorpion gravel tyre in Greece, the same tyre they will use for Repco Rally New Zealand at the end of August.

The weekend also includes the third round of the Production-World Rally Championship (P-WRC), with Auckland-based Neil Allport Motorsport running first round winning competitor Juho Hanninen (Finland).

 
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 6 of 15 rounds)