Sébastien Ogier Wins Dramatic 2026 Acropolis Rally Greece After Thierry Neuville’s Late Puncture Heartbreak

Loutraki, Greece, June 28, 2026: Sébastien Ogier produced a masterclass on the final day of the 2026 EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, overturning an overnight deficit to claim a dramatic victory after Thierry Neuville’s challenge was undone by late punctures on Sunday.

The eight-time World Rally Champion and co-driver Vincent Landais guided their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 to victory by 58.3 seconds, completing a remarkable final day that also earned them Super Sunday honours and victory in the Wolf Power Stage.

The triumph marked Ogier’s 69th career FIA World Rally Championship victory and his second Acropolis Rally win, arriving 15 years after his first success on the iconic Greek gravel roads.

Ogier Turns the Rally Around on Sunday

After two punishing days across the rocky stages around Loutraki, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville entered Sunday’s final leg holding a slender 4.1-second advantage over Ogier.

However, the momentum shifted immediately on the opening pass through Aghii Theodori, where Ogier erased the deficit and moved 1.3 seconds ahead.

The pair then recorded identical stage times on Loutraki 1, leaving the battle finely balanced with only two stages remaining.

The decisive moment came on the second run through Aghii Theodori.

Neuville suffered two rear punctures on the brutal gravel stage, losing 53.5 seconds and effectively handing victory to the Toyota driver.

Although Ogier only needed a clean run through the final Wolf Power Stage to secure the win, he still set the fastest time to complete a flawless Sunday.

“The Greek gods finally supported me,” Ogier said. “It’s been a long weekend. We knew that there was never any time to relax, right up to this Power Stage. I couldn’t push in there, I just drove as gently as I could and felt for every stone. But now we have it, and it’s a bit of payback from the one we lost in Portugal.”

Neuville Left Wondering What Might Have Been

Neuville had controlled much of the rally, leading from Friday morning and looking poised to deliver Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team its fourth Acropolis Rally victory in five years.

Instead, the Belgian was forced to settle for second after cruel luck struck in the closing stages.

Despite the disappointment, Neuville praised both his team and Ogier following one of the closest battles of the season.

“I am between disappointment and somehow a little bit of joy because the car is performing well and we feel comfortable in it,” Neuville said. “Fair play to Ogier, he did an incredible race as well. We don’t know what would have happened without the puncture. But that’s rallying.”

Toyota Celebrates Strong Team Performance

Toyota Gazoo Racing completed an excellent weekend with Takamoto Katsuta securing third place, finishing 3 minutes 4.8 seconds behind teammate Ogier.

Running second on the road throughout Friday made life especially difficult for the Japanese driver, but he avoided the tyre damage and mechanical issues that caught out many rivals.

Katsuta dedicated his podium finish to his daughter on her birthday.

“Today is the most important day of my life because it’s my daughter’s birthday, so I’m very happy to bring a trophy for her.”

Career-Best Result for McErlean

Josh McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy produced one of the standout performances of the weekend by finishing fourth overall for M-Sport Ford.

The Irish pairing survived a late scare after running off the road on Aghii Theodori 2 but recovered to secure a career-best WRC finish, ending the rally just 6.7 seconds ahead of Toyota youngster Sami Pajari.

Pajari completed the top five after an impressive final day that also saw him finish second on both Super Sunday and the Wolf Power Stage.

Adrien Fourmaux placed sixth after another frustrating weekend in which tyre damage and further setbacks denied the Hyundai driver a genuine shot at victory despite showing front-running pace throughout the event.

Evans Retains Championship Lead

Championship leader Elfyn Evans endured a difficult Acropolis Rally, with the disadvantage of opening the road on Friday compounded by multiple wheel changes over the weekend.

The Welshman eventually finished seventh overall but retained his lead in the drivers’ standings heading into the next round.

Further down the order, Mārtiņš Sesks finished eighth for M-Sport Ford.

Robert Virves secured ninth overall and claimed WRC2 victory after Andreas Mikkelsen lost crucial time changing a wheel on Sunday morning.

Mikkelsen finished second in WRC2 and tenth overall, while Alejandro Cachón completed the WRC2 podium in 11th.

Ogier’s maximum points haul moves him into third place in the championship on 125 points, while Katsuta’s podium reduces Evans’ lead to just seven points.

Toyota Gazoo Racing also strengthened its grip on the manufacturers’ championship, extending its advantage over Hyundai to 140 points after eight rounds.

The FIA World Rally Championship now heads to the fast gravel roads of Delfi Rally Estonia, scheduled for 16-19 July in Tartu.

2026 EKO Acropolis Rally Greece – Overall Classification

FIA World Rally Championship Drivers’ Standings (After Round 8 of 14)