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India's rally ace Gaurav Gill is all set to take part in World Rally Championship (WRC) 2023 season, starting with the Acropolis Rally of Greece, one of the toughest in the world and scheduled from September 7-10.
Widely hailed as the 'Rally of Gods', the event will cover a total distance of 1,235 km, including 15 special stages stretching across 307km over four days. This year as well, the spectators will witness 72 teams fighting it out for their spot in the gruelling event.
The only Arjuna awardee in the motorsport category, Gill, a JK Tyre prodigy, will compete in the 30-car WRC 2 category in a specially-prepped Škoda Fabia R5 alongside his French co-driver, Florian Barral.
Supported by an excellent and potent pit crew team of Italian team Delta Rally, Gill will try to set a new benchmark for himself. The rally will also be featuring previous Acropolis winner and current WRC 2 championship leader Andreas Mikkelsen along with title rivals Yohan Rossel and Sami Pajari.
The Skoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 spec car, with a 5-speed, sequential, manual gearbox, enables a driver to shift gears in milliseconds. The R5 is geared to touch a top speed of 200 km/h.
Seven-time national champion and three-time APRC champion, Gill will be in his element around the hot, dusty, and rock-strewn stages of the Rally Acropolis. He had put on a dazzling display of speed to finish sixth in a 35-car WRC 2 field last year.
"I am really looking forward to driving in the Rally Acropolis. The sweltering heat, the dust, the rocky mountain passes and loose gravel all combine to make this one of the most punishing rallies on the calendar," Gill said.
"This event is not for the faint-hearted but these conditions play to my strengths. I expect to be in my element this weekend and I'm going to give it everything to bring home a strong result."