FIA World Rally Championship: Greece

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team journeys to the toughest round of the FIA World Rally Championship in Greece next week intent on building on last month's one-two finish in Italy and extending its excellent record on one of the series' classic fixtures. The Acropolis Rally of Greece (11 - 14 June) is round seven of the championship and marks the beginning of the second half of the 12-round campaign.

Following victory for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila and second place for Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen across the Mediterranean Sea in Sardinia last month, the team heads to Greece full of confidence. However, both pairings know that the challenges posed by the Acropolis will be greater than any encountered in the opening six rounds.

Success in Greece demands a blend of strength, reliability and speed. Rocky mountain tracks and punishing heat are the hallmarks of a rally that offers a new-look for 2009 but will doubtless maintain its traditional characteristics. It is a trial in which the record-breaking Ford Focus RS World Rally car has excelled, with six wins during the last nine seasons.

The gravel speed tests west of Athens have a fearsome reputation. Cars must withstand severe punishment from loose rocks which litter the surface of the mountain tracks, as well as bedrock which forms the base of the roads. Temperatures are likely to be well above 30ºC, placing high demands on engines and gearboxes.  Because the winding, climbing roads and many hairpin bends make this a relatively slow rally (only Turkey was slower in 2008), there is little cooling from the flow of air.

Drivers and co-drivers can expect a tough weekend for the same reasons. There is no cooling inside the cars during special stages so cockpit temperatures are high and fitness plays a crucial role.  Regular fluid intake is vital to stave off dehydration and ensure the crew operates at peak performance.

Team News

* Tyre partner Pirelli will provide BP Ford Abu Dhabi with just the one regulation tyre pattern.  The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in hard compound only. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spare wheels.

* Three other Focus RS WRCs will start.  Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud and Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin are nominated by the Stobart VK M-Sport squad, while Federico Villagra/ José Díaz are nominated by the Munchi's Ford team.

* Latvala last weekend drove his privately-entered Mk2 Ford Escort RS1800 to victory in Finland's Lahti Historic Rally, fifth round of the FIA European Historic Rally Championship. Latvala is a huge fan of rallying's history but had never driven an Escort, one of the sport's most successful cars, in competition. Partnered by Asko Sairanen, he won the two-day rally by 1min 15.4sec after 12 stages covering 126km. "I lost second and third gears on the opening stage but because Finnish roads are so fast I was able to use first gear for junctions and fourth and fifth for the other sections," said Latvala. 

Rally Route

After three years in Athens, the rally moves 80km west to Loutraki for its new home and the new-look route sees the return of some classic Acropolis stages. After Thursday evening's start at the famous Corinth Canal, Friday's action heads north around the Gulf of Corinth to tackle well-known stages near Livadia and Itea, which hosts a brief 15-minute service break in early afternoon.  Saturday's route takes competitors into the Peloponnese region, a traditional Acropolis venue during the 1980s, for all-new stages. Sunday's final leg, the shortest of the rally, heads north and east of Loutraki and includes two passes over the demanding 33.00km Aghii Theodori. The rally finishes in Loutraki after 17 stages covering 371.02km in a route of 1208.18km. Only one test remains unchanged from 2008.