2025
The 2026 EKO Acropolis Rally will get underway with 58 crews on the entry list, including 12 Rally1 cars. It marks the strongest Rally1 presence at any FIA World Rally Championship event this season, setting the stage for an exceptional battle even before the first competitive kilometres are tackled on Greece’s legendary special stages.
This year’s EKO Acropolis Rally returns with a renewed identity and a series of elements that further highlight its unique character. A new rally base, new special stages, a head-to-head Super Special Stage at The Ellinikon Sports Park and a ferry transfer for the crews combine to create an event that blends sporting intensity with the image of a modern, outward-looking Greece.
On the competitive front, the entry list features all the major names in the championship. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT arrives in Greece with five GR Yaris Rally1 cars. Elfyn Evans, the championship leader and Rally Japan winner, will be joined by Takamoto Katsuta, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari, all of whom have already made their mark this season. They will also be joined by nine-time World Champion Sebastien Ogier, who returns to the demanding Greek stages.
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team returns to an event it has won in each of the past two seasons with a three-car i20 N Rally1 line-up for Adrien Fourmaux, Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo. The rough gravel roads of the Acropolis Rally have traditionally suited the Korean manufacturer, which will once again be among the favourites for victory.
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team also arrives with a strong line-up, fielding four Puma Rally1 cars. Jon Armstrong, Josh McErlean and Martins Sesks will be joined by Jourdan Serderidis, ensuring Greek representation in the championship’s top category.
The Rally2 field is equally impressive, both in terms of quantity and quality. No fewer than 34 Rally2 cars will cross the start ramp, with many of the leading protagonists of the WRC2 championship making the trip to Greece.
Among them, the return of Lancia to the Acropolis Rally stands out. The Italian marque last competed in the event in 1993, when Carlos Sainz and Andrea Aghini drove the legendary Delta Integrale. This year, Lancia returns to the World Rally Championship through the WRC2 category, with Yohan Rossel among the leading title contenders.
The WRC2 battle is further strengthened by the presence of Leo Rossel, Roope Korhonen, Andreas Mikkelsen and Gus Greensmith, making this one of the strongest line-ups the category has assembled all season.
As always, Greek crews remain an essential part of the EKO Acropolis Rally’s identity. A total of 13 entries will carry Greek colours, with particularly strong interest focused on the Rally2 category. Plagos-Kouzionis, the highest-placed Greek crew in the 2025 EKO Acropolis Rally, return in a Skoda Fabia RS, while Roustemis-Bakloris, who achieved the same distinction in 2024, will also compete in an identical car. Athanassoulas-Soukoulis will line up in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2, while the competitive Karanikolas-Kakavas (Ford Fiesta Mk II) and Chalkias-Tsaousoglou (Skoda Fabia Evo) add further strength to the national challenge.
Crews like “Flandy' with Kostis Stefanis in his 31st event, along with Vasilakis-Harryman, Davaris-Makris, Kalamaras-Lambrakis, and Delaportas-Panagiotounis, all in Ford Fiestas, bolster Greece's Rally3 presence. They face tough international opposition, including WRC3 champion Matteo Fontana.
The 2026 EKO Acropolis Rally will get underway on Thursday, 25 June, with the spectacular EKO Super Special Stage at The Ellinikon Sports Park. Later that evening, crews will head to the Port of Corinth, where they will board the Superfast IV for the crossing to Itea. From the following morning, 16 more special stages await competitors in what remains the toughest event of the FIA World Rally Championship.
Click here for the full entry list.
