Loeb first, Loubet second: cocorico on the Acropolis Rally!

Greek roads can be adorned with blue, white and red on Friday evening. At the end of the second day of Rally from the Acropolis, these are the two Frenchmen, Sébastien Loeb and Pierre-Louis Loubet, who are leading the event. The nine-time world champion, who had let go of the controls at the end of SS5, regained them at the end of the day, signing a new scratch (the 4th of the day) during SS7. Still in the game, the Alsatian – aged 48, remember – is teaching a real lesson against the young (and not so young) guns in the category.

AN M-SPORT 🥇🥈to finish the day.@SebastienLoeb 🇫🇷 leads with @PL_Loubet 🇫🇷 only 1.7 seconds behind 💪. pic.twitter.com/aP7izQngtY

- M-Sport (@MSportLtd) September 9, 2022

Second at the end of the day, Pierre-Louis Loubet had an (almost) dream day. The Corsican signed his first two scratches of his career in WRC and led the Acropolis Rally for two special stages. Almost enough to forget the mechanical problems during the last special. “We can be satisfied with what we have done. We had a problem with the brakes at the start of the stage and another problem with the power steering at the end. I didn't want to take any risks and just took the car home. It's incredible, it's like a dream to fight with Loeb.", declared the young 25-year-old pilot.

Recruited by M-Sport this season to ride “part-time”, Loubet continues to impress, after his 4th place in Sardinia. Relegated to just 1″7 behind Loeb, the native of Bastia is well and truly in the race for a first podium in Greece, even if the last two days promise to be more complicated…

The favorites will show up on Saturday on the Acropolis Rally

Derrière le duo français, ça se bouscule. La menace principale s’appelle Esapekka Lappi. Le Finlandais est toujours en embuscade, à 8″7 de Sébastien Loeb. Meilleur pilote Toyota, Lappi a lui aussi profité de sa position de départ favorable contrairement aux « gros bras » chez les Rally1.

Kalle Rovanperä and Ott Tänak, who set out as road sweepers, suffered more than their competitors. The championship leader has already lost more than a minute to the leader of the Acropolis Rally after the first 7 special stages. The Estonian managed to stay afloat with “only” 31 seconds behind and can still aim for a podium. Thierry Neuville, 4th at the end of Friday, can still aim for victory in Lamia.

The protagonists of the championship are looking forward to Saturday, in order to have a clean road and return to the match for a podium. Our two Frenchmen, for their part, should have more difficulties on Saturday. But the lead taken is no longer to be taken... the hope of a French double is more than justified! 

The general classification after SS7: 

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