Ogier Closes Gap to Neuville with SS8 Victory

Sebastien Ogier began Saturday at Acropolis Rally Greece by setting the fastest time on SS8, trimming the gap to rally leader Thierry Neuville.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver topped the Ghymno stage while continuing to prioritise tyre preservation over outright aggression. With the gravel remaining highly abrasive, tyre management once again proved to be a decisive factor from the opening stage of the day.

"I was worried about the beginning of this stage, but now the focus is on the next ones and how the tyres will hold up. I'm concentrating on my own driving and trying to stay out of trouble," said Ogier.

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Neuville was unconcerned by the small time loss. The Hyundai driver revealed that he eased off towards the end of the stage to preserve his tyres and remained confident he could respond to Ogier's challenge.

Adrien Fourmaux was unable to reduce the gap to the leading pair, while Elfyn Evans benefited from a much stronger road position than on Friday. Sami Pajari, meanwhile, continued to struggle with the slippery conditions while running among the early starters.

With only a small margin separating the front-runners, the battle between Neuville and Ogier is expected to dominate Saturday's action. On roads that continue to punish tyres, outright speed will again need to be balanced with careful tyre management and reliability.