The BP Ultimate-backed Ford team got off to a flying start over the two opening night superspecial stages with Hirvonen fastest from his team-mate. The following morning Gr?nholm took the lead on Friday?s opening test but then found himself ?sweeping? the roads of loose gravel over the next three tests to slip to fourth place.

However, in the afternoon on cleaner roads Gr?nholm soon powered back into the lead with three stages to go. ?It?s great to be first considering my start position,? said the championship leader.

After an unscheduled swap of the Focus? gear-change system in the morning, Hirvonen ended Friday in fifth place and nicely poised to attack on the second day. Unfortunately a 150kph off on Saturday?s opening stage cost him time. ?I was lucky not to hit anything because we couldn?t see what was happening in the dust,? he said. With a broken windscreen he had to be careful for three more stages but ended the day fourth and well placed for another podium tilt.

Gr?nholm?s lead was increased on Saturday despite pacing himself to preserve tyres on the treacherously rocky roads amid temperatures ranging between 30-40 degrees, but the threat of Citr?en?s S?bastien Loeb and Subaru?s Petter Solberg in tsecond and third still loomed.

?It?s been another tough but strong day for us,? said Gr?nholm at the end of Leg 2. ?But I know that both Seb and Petter will attack tomorrow so I can?t relax.?

On the final morning Loeb was quickest out of the blocks, but Gr?nholm had him covered and was able to keep the time loss to a handful of seconds over the next three stages, forcing the Frenchman to settle for second place.

Hirvonen needed a stroke of luck to move up a place but with his rivals playing a cautious game it was a vain hope and he finished off the podium for only the third time this year. For Ford it was the 60th World Rally victory and you have to go back 84 events to Rally GB 2001 to find the last time the Blue Oval failed to score?

BP Ford team manager Malcolm Wilson said: ?This was a great win for Marcus, especially as he had to open the roads on the first day and we can really look forward to the second half of the season.?

The series takes a nine week break before regrouping in Finland where Gr?nholm will be plotting to become the first driver ever to win a single event seven times.

The next event is Rally Finland from August 3

Acropolis Rally top six finishers
1. Gr?nholm/Rautiainen (Ford) 2. Loeb/Elena (Citr?en)
3. P Solberg/Mills (Subaru) 4. Hirvonen/Lehtinen (Ford)
5. H Solberg/Menkerud (Ford) 6. Atkinson/Prevot (Subaru)