Greece has been subjected to flash flooding this week after receiving record-breaking rainfall courtesy of Storm Daniel. Last Sunday WRC crews were issued a severe weather warning of the approaching storm.
The storm has hit Lamia, the host city for the Acropolis Rally, which has resulted in several roads being flooded around the service park. Rally event director Pavlos Athanassoulas told Autosport that during the last 48 hours the storm has resulted in the ”biggest amount of water fall in the history of Greece.”
WRC crews have managed to recce the stages despite the conditions, albeit across a truncated and interrupted schedule. The recce of stages 7-10 (Pavliani) was however ended prematurely for some crews on Wednesday evening due to fading light and the rain that has enacted restrictions on traffic in the city.
The disruption to the recce schedule had resulted in officials reducing shakedown to a minimum of one run for Rally1 crews, with shakedown optional for other competitors, before a call was made on Wednesday evening to abandon Thursday's shakedown (Lamia 3.2km) completely.
Sunday’s rally ending Power Stage ( Stage 15, Grammeni,19.77km) has also been shortened by 10 kilometres due to the effects of the storm.
“Fortunately things haven’t been too much affected,” Athanassoulas told Autosport.
“The drivers had the opportunity to do recce, somehow, not in the best possible conditions, but on all stages.
Source: Autosport