Suzuki crowd Acopolis podium.

Two Suzuki Ignis Super 1600 cars have finished in the top three of the Acropolis Rally - the Monster Sport Europe team's best ever result.

Sweden's Daniel Carlsson finished a delighted second, and Estonian Urmo Aava was third on round two of the Junior World Rally Championship.

Their team-mate Salvador Canellas from Spain was not far behind in fourth, making it a truly memorable event for Suzuki.

All three drivers were delighted to finish what is widely acknowledged as the toughest and hottest event in the entire championship. Of the original 22 JWRC starters, only six made it to the finish. This means that 50 per cent of the total cars that finished were Suzukis - demonstrating the marque's astonishing reliability.

The rest of the field fell victim to the sharp rocks and rising temperatures that characterise Greece's round of the World Championship. In the past, cockpit temperatures have been measured at over 50 degrees centigrade, and only the fittest cars and drivers survive.

Drivers tackled six stages today, split into two groups of three. With only one service halt in between, reliability was paramount. The total competitive distance was 105 kilometres, making it the shortest - but also one of the toughest - days of the event.

Once more the three remaining Suzuki Ignis entries were a hundred percent reliable, despite the unbelievable punishment they have taken through three days and 400 kilometres of competition. The only retirement from the four-car Monster Sport Europe squad was Finn Ville-Pertti Teuronen, who was sadly forced out by a broken driveshaft on day one.

Carlsson started today's action in a strong second place, and was determined to make use of any opportunities that might come his way. He drove sensibly from the start, in order to preserve his car until the finish.

His challenge for the lead was compromised by a puncture on the second day, but apart from that he suffered no major incidents or dramas. He continued to drive cautiously today, but had a small scare when he hit a rock. In the end though, he was able to consolidate what was an excellent all-round performance.

"I'm very happy with the way this whole rally has gone," said Carlsson, "we had a plan and we were able to stick to it. What we wanted to do was to keep the car in good shape throughout the rally, so that we always had the possibility of pushing hard when we wanted to. Now we've scored our first points of the year and we're back in the running for the championship. I can't wait for the next rally, in Finland!"

Canellas felt that he started this rally too cautiously, but grew in confidence and speed as the event went on. The only mechanical drama he had was a slight problem with overheating brakes on day two, but this was quickly resolved and he was able to resume his usual attacking pace. On the final day he made the most of the speed and reliability of the Ignis to boost himself to second overall in the JWRC points.

"This rally has been a real experience and I'm delighted to get to the end," said Carlsson, "I have some idea of rough gravel rallies from Spain, but nothing quite prepares you for this. However, it's turned out to be a great rally and an excellent result that really helps my championship prospects. I can't wait for Finland, but I'm also really looking forward to the asphalt events at the end of the year: San Remo and my home rally of Catalunya."

Aava came to Greece with no experience of these types of event, and he found the conditions extremely challenging. Nonetheless, he soon settled into a rythm and set some top times that carried him all the way to the podium. Aava had no major mechanical problems, despite the fact that it was the toughest event he had ever competed on. On the final day he drove carefully to be sure of third place in the JWRC points.

"Really, this rally couldn't have gone any better for me. It was an amazing challenge, and I feel very proud to have finished on the podium," said Aava. "The car has been fantastic throughout the event; it's not given me a single problem. I can hardly believe the level of rock-solid reliability. The car seems to have coped with the event a lot better than it's driver: I've never felt more exhausted!"

Monster Sport Europe team manager Risto Laine offered his congratulations to the entire team, after three long days that resulted in a well-deserved success.

"It's been a very good rally for us," he said. "We had a plan which we stuck to and now we have seen the rewards. Of course we wanted to try and win, but we saw that with Daniel's puncture this was not going to be possible without taking very big risks. From the beginning we knew that we did not want to risk anything, so we decided to make sure our cars got to the finish. It's no coincidence that 50 per cent of all the cars that finished were Suzukis - they're strong little things! But we were quick as well, setting fastest stage times. We're all looking forward to the next rally now..."

The next round of the Junior World Rally Championship takes place on the Rally Finland, from August 7-10. Finland is the fastest and most spectacular gravel event of the championship, requiring a unique blend of natural speed and unwavering commitment. Particularly looking forward to it is Ville-Pertti Teuronen, who aims to make up for the disappointment of retirement in Greece with a strong performance on his home rally. With the Suzuki drivers well-placed in the championship standings, they will all be looking for another successful result in the forests around Jyvaskyla.