The 51st Acropolis Rally takes place this coming weekend - the sixth round out of sixteen in the 2004
FIA World Rally Championship.
Greece will also play host to the second round in the 2004 FIA Junior WRC.
One of the longest running traditions of the championship has disappeared with the decision to scrap the ceremonial start at the Parthenon in central Athens, from which the rally takes its name.
Instead the event will start on Thursday evening with the first of three tests at the superspecial stage at Lilea following the official start in the rally base of Lamia. Otherwise the route is almost identical to 2003, with just one new stage, Styrfaka, on the final leg and small modifications to several others.
Special notes:
First run 51 years ago and based on mountain roads in central Greece, the three-day rough gravel event is reckoned to be the toughest of the current 16-round WRC series and is the second in a trio of rocky Mediterranean events.
The combination of the Greek summer sunshine, twisty stages and relatively low average speeds make this event an uncomfortable one for cars as well as drivers.
Critical factors for cars are mechanical reliability, effective cooling and the correct choice of tyre for the hot and abrasive roads, while for drivers, searing cockpit temperatures and the pounding terrain, prove a stern test of physical resilience.
FIA World Rally Championship news:
Sebastien Loeb leads the World Rally drivers' championship, one point ahead of
Markko Martin. Ford meanwhile head the constructors' - 1 point ahead of
Citroen.
News from the Manufacturers' teams:
555 Subaru World Rally Team:
[
Petter Solberg, car #1 and
Mikko Hirvonen, car #2.]
The Subaru World Rally Team will again enter two cars, which will be driven by Petter Solberg (co-driven by Phil Mills) and Mikko Hirvonen (co-driven by Jarmo Lehtinen). Having achieved two podium finishes in the last three years, Solberg will be aiming to score his first win in Greece on this year's Acropolis Rally. Finnish driver Hirvonen has contested the event only once before. He will be aiming to secure more Championship points, while continuing his development programme with the team and gaining further experience of the Impreza WRC2004.
Citroen Total:
[
Sebastien Loeb, car #3 and Carlos Sainz, car #4]
Citroen and Sebastien Loeb took the belated win in Cyprus, following the exclusions of the two Peugeots, while Carlos Sainz moved up from fourth to third. This weekend, team boss, Guy Frequelin, has high expectations.
"We should be more competitive on the Acropolis Rally than we were in Cyprus," he warned. "The Greek stages are wider, not so twisty and feature a little less loose surface gravel. The Xsara should be at ease. Also, we will have a new Michelin tyre with which our drivers were very pleased in testing. That could make a difference against Petter Solberg who runs on the products of a different firm. I hope we will be up front fighting for victory, and I must admit I would be disappointed if that wasn't the case!"
