June 26 (Reuters) - Hyundai's Thierry Neuville took the lead from Toyota's reigning champion Sebastien Ogier after the first full day of Acropolis Rally Greece on Friday.
The Belgian completed the seventh stage on gravel 9.7 seconds clear of the nine-times world champion, who had won Thursday's short opening asphalt super-special in Athens before the rally contenders moved by ferry overnight to Itea.
Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux was in third place, 42.4 seconds off the pace.
"It is always nice to lead but it doesn’t mean anything to us at the moment as the rally is very long,” said Neuville, the 2024 world champion who won in Greece that same year after a previous victory in 2022.
“Tomorrow will be very tough for the car and the tyres.”
Neuville took the lead from Fourmaux on stage four when the Frenchman suffered a puncture.
Toyota's championship leader Elfyn Evans ended the day in seventh place, more than two minutes down, after the disadvantage of being first on the road.
"We knew it was going to be tough and it was even more tough than expected,” said the Welshman.
Toyota teammate Oliver Solberg retired from the day's running after going off the road on the last stage and getting his car stuck.
"I just came in a bit hot and got the rear out and got stuck on the bank there. It was a slippy surface that is for sure," he said.
The rally, headquartered in Loutraki on the Gulf of Corinth, continues on Saturday with six stages in the Peloponnese.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; editing by Clare Fallon)
