Acropolis Rally Greece: Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 drivers well-prepared for gravel and soaring heat

› The eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship presents one of the toughest challenges for the competitors in the WRC2 category
› Former WRC2 Champion Andreas Mikkelsen from Norway and Robert Virves from Estonia take to the wheel of team Toksport WRT’s two Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
› Italian Roberto Daprà of Delta Rally Team and Spaniard Jan Solans of team PH.Ph are two more Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 drivers aiming for top positions

Mladá Boleslav, 24 June 2026 – With the Acropolis Rally Greece (25-28 June 2026), the FIA World Rally Championship enters a string of seven gravel events in a row. The Greek stages feature rugged paths in the Peloponnese mountains and the more technical backroads in the Corinthian Isthmus area. Eleven crews compete with a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

For the 2026 edition, the Acropolis Rally Greece returns to the Gulf of Corinth and the service park in Loutraki for the first time in over a decade. Bringing the eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) closer to the capital city of Athens, the route combines heritage and demanding modern stages. However, the challenges of Europe’s roughest WRC gravel event remain as unforgiving as ever.

And when the going gets tough, only the tough get going. Škoda rally cars have proven in the past that they are reliable and fast, even under the most demanding road conditions. It is no surprise that more than a third of WRC2 competitors have chosen a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 for the “Rally of the Gods”, as the Greek WRC round is also known.

In 2023, Andreas Mikkelsen drove a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to WRC2 victory at the Acropolis Rally Greece en route to winning his second WRC2 title. This year, the Norwegian is back with team Toksport WRT and co-driver Jørn Listerud. “I would like to repeat that victory, but the competition is very strong. It will be important to strike the right balance between speed and avoiding damage to the car or punctures. Fortunately, the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 has proven to be rock solid even under the toughest conditions,” said Andreas Mikkelsen.

Toksport WRT’s second Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 will be in the hands of Robert Virves and co-driver Jakko Viilo. The Estonians are hungry for success, particularly following their victory in the WRC2 category at the extremely challenging Safari Rally Kenya.

The currently best-placed Škoda crew in the WRC2 overall standings is Roberto Daprà and co-driver Luca Guglielmetti. Competing for Delta Rally Team, the Italians are sitting in seventh position in their respective classification. Roberto Daprà demonstrated his speed on loose surfaces with a WRC2 victory at last year’s Rally Italia Sardegna. Jan Solans and co-driver Rodrigo Sanjuán narrowly missed WRC2 victory at Rally de Portugal a couple of weeks ago. Now, the Spaniards are back for revenge with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Team PH.Ph. Other Škoda crews with hopes for a top position are reigning Junior WRC Champions Mille Johansson/Johan Grönvall from Sweden (MS Munaretto), French pairing Mattéo Chatillon/Maxence Cornuau (BATIRACE), as well as Martin Prokop and co-driver Michal Ernst. The Jipo Car crew finished last year’s Acropolis Rally Greece sixth in WRC2.

The Acropolis Rally Greece will start on Thursday (25 June) at 7.05 pm local time in Athens with a 1.86-kilometre short show stage on tarmac at the Ellinikon Sports Park. Afterwards, competitors head to Loutraki, where the service park is located. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 16 gravel stages follow for a total distance to 323.31 kilometres. The winners will be celebrated on the podium at 2.35 pm in Loutraki.

Did you know, that…
...the location for the overnight regrouping from Thursday to Friday will be a ferry? The rally cars will be collected at Korinthos and then unloaded at Itea after a transfer of some 40 nautical miles.

...the “Acropolis” was part of the inaugural season of the FIA World Rally Championship in 1973, but was not included in the calendar from 2014 to 2020?

...due to the relatively low speeds and the high ambient temperatures, the rally is considered the season’s most challenging event for the rally cars’ cooling systems?

Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 7 of 14 events)
1 Nikolay Gryazin (BUL), Lancia, 56 points
2 Yohan Rossel (FRA), Lancia, 52 points
3 Roope Korhonen (FIN), Toyota, 52 points
4 Léo Rossel (FRA), Citroën, 52 points
5 Alejandro Cachón (ESP), Toyota, 46 points
6 Teemu Suninen (FIN), Toyota, 42 points
7 Roberto Daprà (ITA), Škoda, 37 points

Standings WRC2/Teams (after 7 of 14 events)
1 Lancia Corse HF, Lancia, 163 Points
2 Toksport WRT, Škoda, 126 points
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, Ford, 45 Points

2026 FIA World Rally Championship

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