{"id":7333,"date":"2026-05-23T21:32:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T18:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/?p=7333"},"modified":"2026-05-23T21:32:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T18:32:48","slug":"latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/","title":{"rendered":"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Difficult weather conditions were the defining feature of the second leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally. Crews and organizers were called upon to manage, until the very last moment, the challenges caused by the heavy rainfall of the past few hours. The organizers proceeded with the cancellation of two special stages, as the excessive mud did not allow the safe passage of the safety vehicles. Saturday\u2019s special stages were held under particularly demanding conditions, with mud making things extremely difficult for the crews, who nevertheless provided spectacular action and plenty of slides for the spectators gathered on the mountains.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7315\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-248.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-248.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-248-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-248-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-248-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-248-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On the competitive side, <strong>Jari-Matti Latvala<\/strong> and <strong>Tomiya Maekawa<\/strong> were never threatened during the second leg, winning every special stage of the day. The Finnish driver stated that he was impressed by the rally\u2019s new stages, drove the Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD (ST185) flawlessly, and is heading toward his second victory in the Historic Acropolis Rally and third overall on Greek soil. Remaining in second place overall were <strong>Kristopher Rosenberger<\/strong> and <strong>Nicola Januschke Bleicher<\/strong> with the Subaru Impreza 555. The Austrian driver, returning to Greek roads, aims to defend his position during the third and final leg of the rally, as the gap to the leaders leaves little chance of challenging for victory. In third place overall are <strong>Achilleas Christodoulou<\/strong> and <strong>Konstantinos Soukoulis<\/strong>, who appeared to adapt more and more to the muddy conditions stage after stage. With the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI in their hands, they will attempt on Sunday to close the gap to the Austrian duo and fight for second place.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7323\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399-2-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399-2-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399-2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399-2-2048x1367.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The leg was not trouble-free for <strong>Mario Stafylopatis<\/strong> and <strong>Giorgos Chatzirigas<\/strong>, who finished fourth overall while maintaining the lead in the Greek Historic Rally Championship for Categories 1-4. The Lancia Delta Integrale crew started strongly, but a wrong tire choice in Tarzan cost them more than a minute. On Sunday they are expected to increase their pace in order to maintain their lead in the Greek championship. The Belgians <strong>Gregoire de Mevius<\/strong> and <strong>Andre Leyh<\/strong> occupy fifth place overall after a trouble-free second leg with the Nissan Sunny GTI-R and are expected to have an exciting battle with the Greek duo of Stafylopatis-Chatzirigas.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7311\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-161.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-161.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-161-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-161-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-161-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-161-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Cypriots <strong>Petros Panteli<\/strong> and <strong>Antonis Chrysostomou<\/strong> overcame the suspension issue on their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI from the first leg and increased their pace on Saturday despite anti-lag problems. In their first appearance with this particular rally car, they are sixth overall and will try to gain positions on Sunday. Arriving in Greece with the goal of collecting valuable points and maintaining their lead in the European Historic Gravel Rally Championship standings were <strong>Christophe Jacob<\/strong> and <strong>Isabelle Regnier<\/strong> with the Ford Escort RS1800 MKII. The Belgians are seventh overall, fourth among the crews eligible for the European championship, and leaders in Category 3. Despite several mechanical issues during the second leg, <strong>Vojtech Stajf<\/strong> and <strong>Veronika Havelkova<\/strong> reached the Lamia National Exhibition Centre in eighth place with the Toyota Celica GT-4. One place behind them and second in Category 3 are the spectacular <strong>Nemo Mazza<\/strong> and <strong>Mauro Marchiori<\/strong>, making their first appearance on Greek soil with the Ford Escort RS1800 MKII. Tenth overall and second among the Greek Championship contenders are <strong>Alexandros Christodoulou<\/strong> and <strong>Athanasios Samaras<\/strong> with the Lancia 037 Rally, ahead of <strong>Oldrich Kovarik Jr.<\/strong> and <strong>Marek Kapic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7321\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss8-246.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss8-246.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss8-246-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss8-246-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss8-246-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss8-246-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Czech driver of the Skoda Favorit 136L appears to be enjoying the beautiful stages of this year\u2019s event. Despite their limited experience, <strong>Spyros Moustakas<\/strong> and <strong>Apostolos Lakasas<\/strong> are impressively quick with the Mazda 323 GT-R, following the Czech duo in the overall standings. Fighting for a podium finish in Category 3 are <strong>Nikos Pavlidis<\/strong> and <strong>Dimitris Koumpotis<\/strong>, currently third with the Fiat 131 Racing, engaged in a close battle with <strong>Lukas Schindelegger<\/strong> and <strong>Helmut Schindelegger<\/strong> in a Ford Escort RS1800 MKII, just 15 seconds behind. They are followed by <strong>Kyriakos Vytogiannis<\/strong> and <strong>Nikolaos Vytogiannis<\/strong> with a Subaru Impreza. <strong>Efthymios Chalkias<\/strong> and <strong>Marios Tsousoglou<\/strong> appeared to become more comfortable with the Nissan 240RS, improving their performance during the second leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7329\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-31-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-31-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-31-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-31-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-31-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-31-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-31-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Leading Category 2 and the 1600cc class of the Greek championship are <strong>Konstantinos Mylonas<\/strong> and <strong>Nikolaos Paraperas<\/strong>, despite clutch problems with their Toyota Celica TA22. Further down the order are <strong>Giorgos Delaportas<\/strong> and <strong>Ilias Panagiotounis<\/strong> with a Volkswagen Golf II, and <strong>Panagiotis Koutsikos<\/strong> and <strong>Alexandros Mataliotakis<\/strong> with a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4&#215;4. Leading the 1300cc category are <strong>Konstantinos Ladias<\/strong> and <strong>Michalis Patrikousis<\/strong> with a Toyota Starlet, closely challenged by <strong>Konstantinos Argyriou<\/strong> and <strong>Stamatis Laskos<\/strong> (Toyota Starlet EP71), who are just four seconds behind. Victims of the constantly changing weather conditions were <strong>Ioannis Paravalos<\/strong> and <strong>Dionysis Kolotouros<\/strong> (Toyota Corolla AE92), who lost several positions on the second pass through Achladia, while <strong>Sotiris Skaltsas<\/strong> and <strong>Lambros Zografos<\/strong> suffered gearbox problems with their Volkswagen Golf II and dropped down the order.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7313\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-167.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-167.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-167-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-167-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-167-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-167-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The following crews retired and will return under Rally2 regulations for the third leg: <strong>Dimitris Amaxopoulos<\/strong> and <strong>Evangelos Moukas<\/strong> (Toyota Corolla) due to mechanical failure, <strong>Dimitris Trikardos<\/strong> and <strong>Kostas Verykakis<\/strong> because of gearbox issues on their Ford Escort MKI, and <strong>Giorgos Paradeisis<\/strong> and <strong>Ploutarchos Stergiou<\/strong> (Ford Escort MKI) due to a driveshaft failure. A fuel pump problem temporarily put <strong>Michalis Poseidias<\/strong> and <strong>Pambos Lao<\/strong> out of the rally with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV. Permanently out of the event are <strong>Chrysos Panteli<\/strong> and <strong>Thomas Theofanous<\/strong> following gearbox failure on their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7325\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-9-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-9-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-9-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-9-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-9-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-9-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On <strong>Sunday, May 23<\/strong>, the crews will depart from Lamia heading to the day\u2019s first Special Stage, <strong>Amfikleia<\/strong>, measuring <strong>13.17 km<\/strong>. This will be followed by the <strong>Elateia<\/strong> Special Stage (<strong>11.65 km<\/strong>), which was also included in the 2025 itinerary, and then the demanding <strong>Mavroneri<\/strong> stage (<strong>13.35 km<\/strong>), before the crews head to <strong>Aliartos<\/strong> for the midday service. The day continues with the <strong>Thebes<\/strong> Special Stage, measuring <strong>14.91 km<\/strong>, while the rally will conclude with the final stage of this year\u2019s Historic Acropolis Rally, <strong>Neochoraki<\/strong>, covering <strong>13.62 competitive kilometers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7327\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-16-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-16-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u0391\u03a7\u039b\u0391\u0394\u0399\u0391-\u0399\u0399-16-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The finish ceremony will take place at <strong>15:34<\/strong> at the Archaeological Museum of Thebes, while the prize-giving ceremony will be held in the museum courtyard at <strong>18:30<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Region of Central Greece<\/strong> is one of the main supporters of this year\u2019s Historic Acropolis Rally, actively contributing to the organization and smooth running of the event. Through its support, the unique routes of the region are highlighted and Central Greece is promoted internationally. Significant support also comes from the <strong>Regional Unit of Karditsa<\/strong>, which actively backs the rally. Through the event, the Karditsa region gains additional exposure, hosting crews and visitors from across Europe who have the opportunity to experience the beauty and hospitality of the area.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7317\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-259.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-259.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-259-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-259-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-259-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6-259-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Municipality of Lamia<\/strong> plays a key role in the organization, as Lamia serves as one of the rally\u2019s central hubs, hosting both the Service Park and the rally headquarters. The Historic Acropolis Rally contributes significantly to promoting the city as a center for major sporting events. At the same time, the <strong>Municipality of Sofades<\/strong> actively supports the rally\u2019s presence in its region, strengthening the connection between the local community and motorsport while promoting the area through a historic event of international prestige.<\/p>\n<p>Valuable assistance is also provided by the <strong>Region of Attica<\/strong> and the <strong>Regional Unit of Boeotia<\/strong>. Alongside the <strong>Municipality of Lamia<\/strong> and the <strong>Municipality of Sofades<\/strong>, the Historic Acropolis Rally is also supported by the <strong>Municipality of Athens<\/strong>, the <strong>Municipality of Thebes<\/strong>, the <strong>Municipality of Tanagra<\/strong>, the <strong>Municipality of Livadeia<\/strong>, the <strong>Municipality of Amfikleia-Elateia<\/strong>, and the <strong>Municipality of Aliartos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7319\" src=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6a-244.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6a-244.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6a-244-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6a-244-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6a-244-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss6a-244-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Cosmote TV<\/strong> is the communication sponsor, having consistently supported motorsport events in Greece over recent years.<\/p>\n<p>On the official rally website (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.historicacropolis.gr\">www.historicacropolis.gr<\/a>) and on the Electronic Notice Board (<a href=\"https:\/\/webapp.sportity.com\/event\/SPO26HACROPOLIS\/4d688753-3a47-4c32-a1be-c8ae3678e4d2\">Sportity<\/a>), you can stay informed about all the latest news regarding the REMA Historic Acropolis Rally.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/sporting-results\/\"><strong>RESULTS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Official Website:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.historicacropolis.gr\/\">www.historicacropolis.gr<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Facebook page:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/historicacropolisrallygr\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/historicacropolisrallygr<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Instagram page:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/historic_acropolis_rally\/\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/historic_acropolis_rally\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>YouTube page:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@PressOfficeOMAE\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@PressOfficeOMAE<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><strong><em>Press Office<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Difficult weather conditions were the defining feature of the second leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally. Crews and organizers were called upon to manage, until the very last moment, the challenges caused by the heavy rainfall of the past few hours. The organizers proceeded with the cancellation of two special stages, as the excessive mud did not allow the safe passage of the safety vehicles. Saturday\u2019s special stages were held under particularly demanding conditions, with mud making things extremely difficult for the crews, who nevertheless provided spectacular action and plenty of slides for the spectators gathered on the mountains. On [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sporting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead - Historic Acropolis 2023<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead - Historic Acropolis 2023\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Difficult weather conditions were the defining feature of the second leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally. Crews and organizers were called upon to manage, until the very last moment, the challenges caused by the heavy rainfall of the past few hours. The organizers proceeded with the cancellation of two special stages, as the excessive mud did not allow the safe passage of the safety vehicles. Saturday\u2019s special stages were held under particularly demanding conditions, with mud making things extremely difficult for the crews, who nevertheless provided spectacular action and plenty of slides for the spectators gathered on the mountains. On [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Historic Acropolis 2023\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/historicacropolisrallygr\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-23T18:32:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-143.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Apostolis Palatos\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@HRallyAcropolis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HRallyAcropolis\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Apostolis Palatos\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cdd243e0cb10e94e022967e7e3aa2b34\"},\"headline\":\"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-23T18:32:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1323,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ss2jp-143.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sporting News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/\",\"name\":\"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead - Historic Acropolis 2023\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ss2jp-143.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-23T18:32:48+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ss2jp-143.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ss2jp-143.jpg\",\"width\":1800,\"height\":1200},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\u0391\u03c1\u03c7\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Historic Acropolis Rally\",\"description\":\"\u0395\u03c0\u03af\u03c3\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03c4\u03c5\u03b1\u03ba\u03cc\u03c2 \u03c4\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c2 \u0399\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c1\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc \u03a1\u03ac\u03bb\u03bb\u03c5 \u0391\u03ba\u03c1\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b9\u03c2\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Historic Acropolis Rally 2023\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Historic_Acropolis_Rally_2026.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Historic_Acropolis_Rally_2026.jpg\",\"width\":1299,\"height\":846,\"caption\":\"Historic Acropolis Rally 2023\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/historicacropolisrallygr\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/HRallyAcropolis\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/historic_acropolis_rally\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@PressOfficeOMAE\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cdd243e0cb10e94e022967e7e3aa2b34\",\"name\":\"Apostolis Palatos\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/218443c4b5e52635b004af8d287c864f0094affe7c1cf43d1b8d75b4183eeb2a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/218443c4b5e52635b004af8d287c864f0094affe7c1cf43d1b8d75b4183eeb2a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/218443c4b5e52635b004af8d287c864f0094affe7c1cf43d1b8d75b4183eeb2a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Apostolis Palatos\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead - Historic Acropolis 2023","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead - Historic Acropolis 2023","og_description":"Difficult weather conditions were the defining feature of the second leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally. Crews and organizers were called upon to manage, until the very last moment, the challenges caused by the heavy rainfall of the past few hours. The organizers proceeded with the cancellation of two special stages, as the excessive mud did not allow the safe passage of the safety vehicles. Saturday\u2019s special stages were held under particularly demanding conditions, with mud making things extremely difficult for the crews, who nevertheless provided spectacular action and plenty of slides for the spectators gathered on the mountains. On [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/","og_site_name":"Historic Acropolis 2023","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/historicacropolisrallygr","article_published_time":"2026-05-23T18:32:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1800,"height":1200,"url":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-143.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Apostolis Palatos","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@HRallyAcropolis","twitter_site":"@HRallyAcropolis","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/"},"author":{"name":"Apostolis Palatos","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/cdd243e0cb10e94e022967e7e3aa2b34"},"headline":"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead","datePublished":"2026-05-23T18:32:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/"},"wordCount":1323,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-143.jpg","articleSection":["Sporting News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/","url":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/","name":"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead - Historic Acropolis 2023","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-143.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-23T18:32:48+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-143.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ss2jp-143.jpg","width":1800,"height":1200},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/latvala-maekawa-comfortably-in-the-lead\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\u0391\u03c1\u03c7\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae","item":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Latvala\u2013Maekawa comfortably in the lead"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/","name":"Historic Acropolis Rally","description":"\u0395\u03c0\u03af\u03c3\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03c4\u03c5\u03b1\u03ba\u03cc\u03c2 \u03c4\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c2 \u0399\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c1\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc \u03a1\u03ac\u03bb\u03bb\u03c5 \u0391\u03ba\u03c1\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b9\u03c2","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#organization","name":"Historic Acropolis Rally 2023","url":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Historic_Acropolis_Rally_2026.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Historic_Acropolis_Rally_2026.jpg","width":1299,"height":846,"caption":"Historic Acropolis Rally 2023"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/historicacropolisrallygr","https:\/\/x.com\/HRallyAcropolis","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/historic_acropolis_rally\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@PressOfficeOMAE"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/cdd243e0cb10e94e022967e7e3aa2b34","name":"Apostolis Palatos","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/218443c4b5e52635b004af8d287c864f0094affe7c1cf43d1b8d75b4183eeb2a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/218443c4b5e52635b004af8d287c864f0094affe7c1cf43d1b8d75b4183eeb2a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/218443c4b5e52635b004af8d287c864f0094affe7c1cf43d1b8d75b4183eeb2a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Apostolis Palatos"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7333"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7334,"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7333\/revisions\/7334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rally2026.historicacropolis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}