M-Sport enters the Acropolis Rally spoiled for choice

Le Rally of the Acropolis (Greece) is normally one of the toughest events in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for mechanics. So with five Ford Puma Rally1 hybrids registered, the team M-Sport will have his work cut out for him!

Richard Millener, the team's Director, acknowledges that there was no shortage of activity at the workshop. “It has been quite exhausting work for the team to prepare five cars for the Greek gravel, but we are now ready and raring to go for this event. » Besides the holders Craig Breen and Gus Greensmith, the Frenchman Pierre-Louis Loubet will make his return to the World Cup as will the legend Sébastien Loeb. Finally, stage local Jourdan Serderidis will compete in his second event at the wheel of Rally1 in 2022, and will try to do as well as the Kenya Safari (7th).

ALSO READ > Sébastien Loeb's results at the Acropolis Rally

“The season has not been easy, far from it, but we have seen a very promising and exciting pace from each of our crews, so we must move forward, continues Richard Millener.

Greece is always an epic event, it’s not called “the Rally of the Gods” for nothing! I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the WRC return to the Olympic Stadium for a side-by-side super special; a really great setting for a great sport.

 

 

 

 

 

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We have seen good results on dirt this year, notably in Sardinia (Breen 2nd, Loubet 4th), so I'm excited to see what the team can do next week. »

Pierre-Louis Loubet remains on two withdrawals in Estonia and Finland. Corsica wants to return to the forefront as was the case in Sardinia. “I'm very happy to be going to Greece, it's an amazing country and a fantastic rally. With our position on the road, and the pace we showed in Portugal and Sardinia, I think we can do big things. I will try to push as much as possible on this rally, because I think we have everything we need to do well.

The car runs great, the test was positive, and I feel even more comfortable than before. I think the potential is there, so let's see what happens. »

Craig Breen, for his part, has big ambitions. He needs to achieve a convincing result after a series of three disastrous rounds (30th, 32nd and 63rd). “It will be nice to go back to Greece, it’s an event I haven’t done for a while; I was there last year to do the reconnaissance but 2015 was the last time I participated. I have good memories of Greece, it was my first international rally victory in 2014 (in IRC with Peugeot ) and one of the great stepping stones of my career.

C. Breen's victory in a Peugeot 208 T16 R5 at the Acropolis dates back to 2014. © GREGORY LENORMAND / DPPI

I can not wait to return to. This looks like a tough rally, there are a lot of difficult and one-use stages. It's going to be a long recce and a tough week, but I'm looking forward to it. The test went well, we had a good feeling with the car, and I hope we can get back on track and bring back a good result in Greece. »