Neuville takes overnight lead after difficult Acropolis Rally Friday

Thierry Neuville holds a 9.7-second lead over Sébastien Ogier following a grueling opening day at the Acropolis Rally. The Hyundai driver navigated six challenging gravel stages north of Loutraki, maintaining a controlled pace despite losing his front splitter and enduring balance issues throughout the afternoon.

Adrien Fourmaux, who led the rally early in the day, sits in third place. The Frenchman displayed strong pace by winning two stages, but a front-right puncture on SS4 forced him to relinquish the lead. Behind the leading trio, Josh McErlean holds fourth, ahead of Mārtiņš Sesks, while championship leader Elfyn Evans faced difficult road-cleaning duties, ending the day in seventh.

Several competitors faced misfortune on the treacherous Greek terrain. Jon Armstrong, who secured his maiden WRC stage win on Elikon Mt, was forced to retire due to a combination of a puncture and a power loss. Similarly, Oliver Solberg ended his day prematurely after beaching his car on the final stage.