WRC

Sébastien Ogier wins battle with Thierry Neuville at Acropolis Rally Greece

Motorsport Technology
4 months ago
2 min read

Sébastien Ogier benefitted from two rear punctures from rival Thierry Neuville to take his 69th World Rally Championship victory at Acropolis Rally Greece.

The battle swung in Ogier’s favour on Sunday when Neuville suffered two rear punctures and lost 53.5sec on the second pass of Aghii Theodori.

Sébastien Ogier (FRA), Vincent Landais (FRA) celebrate on the podium after winning the WRC Rally1 category at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece in Loutraki, Greece on 28.06.2026 / Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool

Nonetheless, Ogier and his co-driver Vincent Landais had nailed the opening Aghii Theodori test to move 1.3 seconds clear before the incident ended Neuville’s hopes.

“The Greek gods finally supported me,” Ogier is quoted on the official WRC website. “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.”

For a pragmatic Neuville, the result was one of both encouragement and disappointment.

“I am between disappointment and somehow a little bit of joy right now, because the car is performing well and we feel comfortable in it,” added Neuville.

“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; in Portugal we profited from his puncture and now he does from ours.”

The result means that Ogier jumps to third in the championship standings behind leader Elfyn Evans while Takamoto Katsuta’s Greece podium means he is only seven points behind the Welshman.

Next up for the WRC Series is the high-speed gravel Delfi Rally Estonia from 16 – 19 July.

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