Juha Kankkunen Expects Tough Rally Greece Test for Toyota

Juha Kankkunen believes Rally Greece will present one of Toyota Gazoo Racing's toughest challenges of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship season, with the manufacturer's five drivers set to open the road on Friday after occupying the top five positions in the championship standings.

That means Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, Oliver Solberg, Sami Pajari and Sebastien Ogier will face the disadvantage of road sweeping on the opening leg, reducing available grip on the rough gravel stages. Kankkunen expects the rally to be closely contested, with tyre survival and avoiding punctures likely to prove just as important as outright pace.

According to Kankkunen, tyre degradation is expected to affect every crew throughout the weekend. Based on pre-event testing, he said the tyres are already operating close to their limits, meaning tread wear will become one of the defining factors in determining the outcome of the rally.

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He also expects Hyundai to mount a serious challenge, as its Rally1 package has traditionally performed well on Greece's rough gravel roads. Kankkunen believes Sebastien Ogier and Sami Pajari could benefit from more favourable road positions after their Toyota team-mates sweep the stages ahead of them, while Evans is likely to face the biggest disadvantage as the first car on the road.

"Our boys will have to do a bit of road sweeping, but I'm sure it will be a close rally. You always need a bit of luck here as well. Whoever can get through without a dozen punctures will probably be in pretty good shape," said Kankkunen.

The four-time world champion also reflected on his victory at the 1986 Acropolis Rally with Peugeot's Group B machine, recalling that tyre management was already crucial despite having fresh tyres for every special stage. Excessive wheelspin prevented drivers from pushing flat out throughout the rally, and Kankkunen believes managing tyres and preserving the car will once again be decisive factors in this year's Rally Greece.