Acropolis Rally

The Acropolis Rally (June 13-16) brings into play the toughest gravel surface of the World Rally Championship. The frequent rocks and high temperatures submit drivers, cars and tyres to exceptional stress. This is not a high-speed contest like most other gravel rallies but a technical challenge of the highest level.

The event's former traditional base at Glyfada, on the coast close to Athens, has long since disappeared and after some temporary bases elsewhere the rally has now found a new home in the historic towns of Delphi and Itea with a central service area in Parnassos. Tradition has, however, been maintained with a ceremonial start in Athens the night before the 'real' action begins.

" The average speed of this event is slow and the road surface is usually rocky so it is vital to use a tyre that has high resistance to wear,' says Pirelli rally manager Fiorenzo Brivio. 'Cars are always braking or accelerating on this rally so that imposes greater strain and increases the wear rates'" . It is also important that the tyre has a strong sidewall to prevent punctures, even with the EMI anti-deflation system, because that is how the most punctures will occur on this event.'

Recent trends on this event have, however, also seen some faster roads where the surface is sandy rather than rocky. This demands the PZero tyres offer not only maximum wear and puncture resistance but also high performance. It is still expected, however, that the XR tyre will be the 'base' tyre for this rally.

Pirelli arrives in Greece with three wins from the last four Acropolis rallies. It also comes one month after a big win in Argentina (after the double disqualification of both leading Peugeots) and near-total domination of the Stage times in Cyprus in April where drivers from Ford and Subaru won 17 of the 19 Stages.

Rubber For All Conditions
The one constant of the Acropolis Rally is the toughness of the gravel surface that puts tyres and suspension to the ultimate test. Around 2000 tyres in two tread patterns (K and KM) form the PZero range of tyres present in Greece. All are equipped with Pirelli's EMI anti-deflation system.

For Hard And Clean Or Damp Gravel Surface
XR (Size 225/55-15)
Steps 2 and 4
Description Larger tread: perfect on the Acropolis hard gravel surface. Step 2 also with evolutions. Step 4 also for damp surface.
Step 2 can be considered as the 'base choice' for the event.

For Stages With Gravel On Top Or With Wet Conditions
K (Size 205/65-15)
Steps 2 and 4
Description Suitable for some particular conditions possiblein Greece, particularly on surfaces with gravel on top, or wet gravel ground. Step 2 also available with evolution. Step 4 for rainy conditions or very wet surface.

NOTE: The higher the compound number, the harder the tyre.

The Pirelli Team for Greece
3 Ford Focus RS McRae-Grist, Sainz-Moya
& Martin-Park

3 Subaru Impreza WRC Makinen-Lindstrom, Solberg-Mills
& Arai-Sircombe

plus other teams not regularly contesting the World Rally Championship.

Pirelli's Acropolis Record

Pirelli has a record to be proud of in Greece. Three of the last four events have fallen to the PZero tyres and only two of the past seven WRC qualifying Acropolis rallies have not been won by Pirelli. Last year could have seen Pirelli's second 1-2-3-4 of the season (after the previous round in Cyprus) but while Colin McRae won from Petter Solberg, Richard Burns and Carlos Sainz were forced out of the podium places with mechanical problems on the final morning. Carlos Sainz's 1990 success was his first WRC victory but it also led to him taking that year's World Championship title.

Recent winners
1990 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya (Toyota Celica GT-Four)
1991 Juha Kankkunen/Juha Piironen (Lancia Delta Integrale 16v)
1992 Didier Auriol/Bernard Occelli (Lancia Delta HF Integrale)
1993 Miki Biasion/Tiziano Siviero (Ford Escort RS Cosworth)
1994 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya (Subaru Impreza 555)
1995* Aris Vovos/Kostas Stefanis (Lancia HF Integrale)
1996 Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (Subaru Impreza 555)
1997 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya (Ford Escort WRC)
1998 Colin McRae/Nicky Grist (Subaru Impreza WRC98)
1999 Richard Burns/Robert Reid (Subaru Impreza WRC99)
2000 Colin McRae/Nicky Grist (Ford Focus WRC)
2001 Colin McRae/Nicky Grist (Ford Focus RS WRC)
*W2L event only

Contact website:www.acropolisrally.gr

Around The World In 14 Events
Monte Carlo 18-20 January Asphalt/snow/ice
The perfect start to the season for Pirelli with an historic victory going to the Subaru of Tommi Makinen and with four cars fitted with Pirelli PZero tyres in the top six places. The rally was run almost entirely without snow and saw a superb result the RS tyre in the level 9 'thermal' compound that gives maximum performance in conditions of dry asphalt with only a little ice.

Sweden* 1-3 February Snow/ice/gravel
Unfortunately early snow turned quickly into mud but already the Subarus of Makinen and Solberg had retired with engine problems and McRae's Ford suffered a heavy penalty, breaking a wheel after hitting a rock. Third place for Sainz in the other Ford was the best result although again the competition showed the positive steps forward made by the PZero studded tyres.

Corsica* 8-10 March Asphalt
A mixture of dry asphalt on the first day and then wet or damp for the next two days provided a difficult test for tyre choices. However the latest evolutions of the PZero asphalt range proved to be exceptionally competitive in all conditions. Unfortunately Makinen and McRae crashed out of the event but Pirelli's asphalt performance brought fastest times for both Ford and Subaru.

Catalunya 22-24 March Asphalt
Another good test of the PZero asphalt tyres on the variable asphalt surfaces that are a feature of this event. Although the final podium was dominated by drivers from Peugeot and Citroen there were excellent performances by Solberg (Subaru) in fifth place ahead of the Fords of McRae and Martin. Unfortunately both Makinen and Sainz had to retire from the event.

Ciprus * 19-21 April Gravel
The PZero gravel tyre range dominated the stage times in Cyprus, winning 17 of the 19 stages contested and will every one of the Pirelli works teams' drivers from Ford and Subaru setting at least one fastest stage time. Unfortunately two accidents on the final day robbed Colin McRae of victory.

Argentina * 17-19 May Gravel
The result swung comprehensively Pirelli's way with a 1-2-3-4 success following the exclusions of both leading Peugeots, first of Gronholm and then of Burns. Sainz (Ford-Pirelli) took his first win for two years but the event could just as easily have been won by Makinen (Subaru-Pirelli) until he crashed while battling for victory with Gronholm on the final morning. Another good performance by the PZero gravel tyres in all conditions but always with the KM pattern.

Acropolis 14-16 June Gravel

Safari * 11-14 July Gravel

Finland * 8-11 August Gravel

Germany 22-25 August Asphalt

San Remo 20-22 September Asphalt

New Zealand * 3-6 October Gravel

Australia * 1-3 November Gravel

Great Britain 15-17 November Gravel

* WRC Production Car World Championship (Group N) events