Who would have expected such a grueling rally to produce such an exciting battle? The Greek stage, pitting the last two world champions Sébastien Ogier against Thierry Neuville, climbed all the way to the final day, culminating in shared stage victories and a significant change of leadership.
However, the outcome wasn't decided on the course as expected. Ogier secured a deserved victory and seemed to have the rally under control; however, a double blowout in Neuville's rear tire prematurely ended the battle everyone wanted to see resolved between the drivers.
Sordo highlighted Ogier's unconventional nature.
Perhaps we take Ogier's extraordinary talent too seriously. Dani Sordo, who shares the same birth year but is a year older, provides a good point of comparison. Sordo showed signs of his age in Greece; he struggled particularly with taking notes on the numerous new stages. This highlights how remarkable it is that Ogier, almost 20 years after starting his top-level racing career, remains a benchmark driver. It seems that a historic tenth world championship title may be back on the table.
Solberg has still not gotten over his difficult period.
Four crashes in five rallies. Oliver Solberg's brilliant start to 2026 now seems like a distant memory. The most striking point is that the problem isn't limited to asphalt; it continues on gravel as well. For the first time, Solberg has openly admitted he needs to change his approach. A 55-point gap to Evans makes the championship a distant possibility; but perhaps this is for the best. Solberg can now chase results without pressure and heads to Estonia, where he secured his first career victory.
Career performances from McErlean and Armstrong.
Both of M-Sport's Irish drivers delivered their best performances in the WRC. Jon Armstrong won the stage, while Josh McErlean secured the finish. McErlean, with discipline and patience, guaranteed a top six finish; he was initially fourth but received a one-minute penalty for a seatbelt violation. Armstrong, meanwhile, solidified third place in SS5 by setting the fastest time, 0.6 seconds faster than Ogier; unfortunately, a tire blowout and turbo failure spoiled his surprise in the next stage.
Katsuta's championship aspirations are strengthening.
The Acropolis proved that Takamoto Katsuta is a long-term contender in this competition. After the stage, the Japanese rider reduced Evans' advantage to 11 points, flawlessly showcasing the mental fortitude that has been a weakness in Japan. Despite dropping to ninth place after the first gravel stage, he secured his fourth podium of the season with a third-place finish.
Rossel's WRC2 dream has been dashed.
Yohan Rossel's engine failure in Greece has largely ended his WRC2 championship hopes. Only two rallies remain; even if he wins both, he will remain at 102 points. The picture is much brighter for Acropolis winner Robert Virves: the Estonian secured his second victory in his second points-scoring run.
Fourmaux's gravel misfortunes continue.
Adrien Fourmaux fell behind his teammate Neuville for the second time this season in a gravel rally due to a tire puncture. The Frenchman has led in more than half of the 11 gravel rallies he has competed in for Hyundai, but he is still unable to achieve the desired result. In addition, the one-minute penalty he received was certainly avoidable.