M-SPORT FORD PREPARES FOR ACROPOLIS RALLY GREECE AS WRC GRAVEL SEASON BEGINS

RALLY OF GODS MARKS FIRST MAJOR GRAVEL CHALLENGE OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE 2026 WRC SEASON

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is set to begin the gravel phase of its 2026 FIA World Rally Championship campaign at Acropolis Rally Greece, one of the most demanding events on the calendar.

The eighth round of the season returns to Loutraki, located on the Gulf of Corinth, for the first time in more than a decade. Known as the "Rally of Gods", the event features 17 gravel stages covering 323.31 competitive kilometres and is expected to test crews with rough roads, high temperatures and tyre management challenges.

A unique feature of this year's event will see competitors transferred by sea from the Port of Corinth to Itea before Friday's stages, with the ferry also serving as overnight parc fermé. The new logistics arrangement links multiple regions of Greece and introduces an unusual element to the WRC weekend.

M-Sport arrives with a four-car Ford Puma Rally1 line-up alongside a Ford Fiesta Rally2 entry for Romet Jürgenson.

EXPERIENCE AND SURVIVAL KEY TO GREEK CHALLENGE

The Acropolis Rally has long been regarded as one of the toughest rallies in world motorsport. Sharp rocks, loose gravel and extreme heat often make reliability and strategy just as important as outright speed.

M-Sport's Rally1 squad includes Josh McErlean, Jon Armstrong, Mārtiņš Sesks and Jourdan Serderidis, who returns for his first WRC appearance of the season on home roads.

Armstrong returns to Greece for the first time since securing second place in Junior WRC in 2022, while McErlean brings experience from last year's event. Sesks resumes his WRC programme with M-Sport for the next three rallies and aims to improve on his previous Acropolis outing.

Meanwhile, Serderidis will compete in front of home fans with a new Greek-themed livery on his Ford Puma Rally1.

TEAM TARGETS CLEAN AND CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE

"Acropolis Rally Greece is one of those rallies where survival is the name of the game. The heat, the rocks, and the sheer brutality of the stages mean anything can happen. Our focus will be on running clean and working together as a team to keep the cars in one piece. If we do that, there's always the chance of a strong result." — Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal

Millener also highlighted the mixture of experience across the team's line-up and the challenge posed by several new stages.

DRIVERS LOOK AHEAD TO TOUGH GRAVEL TEST

Josh McErlean believes road position and preparation could play an important role in achieving a strong result.

"Acropolis is always a tough event. We have a decent road position, so there could be opportunities if we stay out of trouble."

Jon Armstrong expects temperatures and single-pass stages to create one of the season's toughest challenges.

"If we can take a steady approach, focus on ourselves, and do a good job, then it should be a positive event for us."

Mārtiņš Sesks is looking to build on lessons learned during his first Acropolis Rally appearance.

"Last year was my first time competing there, and there were a lot of things that were completely new to us."

For Jourdan Serderidis, the rally represents a special home event and an opportunity to compete against the world's best gravel drivers.

"Our goal is to enjoy this demanding event, achieve the best possible result, and continue our fight for the Greek Cup awarded to the highest-placed national driver."

JÜRGENSON RETURNS TO A FAMILIAR EVENT

In the Ford Fiesta Rally2, Romet Jürgenson heads back to Greece after finishing runner-up in Junior WRC at the event in 2024.

The Estonian highlighted the importance of managing both physical demands and vehicle preservation throughout the rally.

"Hydration is really important, and you need to keep yourself in good condition to get through three tough days."

KEY POINTS

• Acropolis Rally Greece opens the gravel phase of the 2026 WRC season's second half.

• The event returns to Loutraki as rally headquarters for the first time in over a decade.

• Competitors face 17 stages and 323.31 competitive kilometres.

• A unique ferry transfer from Corinth to Itea will serve as overnight parc fermé.

• M-Sport fields four Ford Puma Rally1 crews and one Ford Fiesta Rally2 entry.

• Jourdan Serderidis makes his first WRC start of the 2026 season.

• Mārtiņš Sesks returns to M-Sport's Rally1 programme for the next three events.

• Romet Jürgenson returns to an event where he finished second in Junior WRC in 2024.