Johnston’s hoping for a ‘good event’ in Greece

AARON Johnston and Takamoto Katsuta have enjoyed a fairly consistent and steady start to the 2025 World Rally Championship season, which will reach the halfway stage at Acropolis Rally Greece this coming weekend.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing pair enjoyed a season’s best second placed finish in the Swedish snow and have recorded back-to-back fifth places at Portugal and Sardegna after clinching fourth in Gran Canaria.

Retirements in Monte Carlo and Kenya apart, they have shown pace and the ability to finish throughout their campaign to date and they are hoping to register another positive return this weekend when the action switches to one of the most demanding events, the classic Acropolis.

A throwback to rallying’s toughest roots – rough, relentless, and utterly unforgiving, there is no room for error at the ‘Rally of Gods’, and with extreme heat thrown in for good measure, it’s not for the faint of heart.

Despite the unique demands of the event, which features rocky, narrow, and brutal stages, Johnston thoroughly enjoys his annual trip to Athens and he’s looking forward to another foray into the Acropolis.

“It’s an event that I actually enjoy, it’s demanding, hot, rough, it’s a bit of a challenge and it’s the last endurance race before we go to the fast, smooth gravel in Estonia and Finland,” the Fintona co-driver said.

“I like it here, it’s a nice rally for me and one I have plenty of experience of. We’re looking forward to it and hopefully we can have a good event.

“We were pretty competitive here last year – we ended up having to super rally, but the speed was there and after Sardinia, we’re quite comfortable and confident in the car and we can use that experience from two weeks ago this weekend.

“It’s going to be hot, probably dusty, so it will be a big challenge for both the car and ourselves but, like I say, it’s an event I enjoy and we’re looking forward to getting going.”