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Toyota’s Elfyn Evans Secures Victory at Challenging Safari Rally
Elfyn Evans of Toyota emerged victorious in the latest round of the World Rally Championship (WRC), marking his second win of the season and significantly bolstering his championship aspirations. The triumph came after a grueling battle at the Safari Rally, which has been described as the most challenging edition since the event made its return to the calendar.
Competing alongside co-driver Scott Martin, Evans completed the demanding 21-stage rally with a lead of 1 minute and 9.9 seconds over Hyundai’s Ott Tanak, while reigning champion Thierry Neuville finished in third place, 3 minutes and 32.0 seconds behind. This result highlights Hyundai’s best performance at the Safari Rally to date.
This victory is particularly noteworthy as it marks the first time a British driver has won the Safari Rally since Colin McRae in 2002. Notably, drivers in the WRC adhered to an FIA directive during the rally, remaining silent during stage-end interviews until the Power Stage, in a response to concerns over inappropriate conduct.
Toyota’s consistent performance in Kenya continued, maintaining a flawless winning streak since its return to the WRC in 2021. However, the event presented significant challenges, with an extensive course of 384 kilometers testing both drivers and their vehicles under tumultuous weather conditions. While Evans was the lone Rally1 driver to avoid major mechanical failures throughout the rally, the competition was still fierce.
Evans started strong, taking the lead after winning the super special stage in Nairobi but faced setbacks early on, dropping to fifth place after the second stage. Nevertheless, he quickly regained his footing, moving to second place, trailing Tanak by 24.4 seconds as the latter dominated the initial stages of Friday’s competition.
The tide turned on stage nine, when Tanak’s vehicle suffered a driveshaft failure, allowing Evans to seize the lead. Despite encountering challenges, including two punctures and several spins resulting from heavy rainfall that created treacherous driving conditions, Evans successfully maintained his lead. There was a brief moment of concern on Sunday when his Toyota experienced a technical issue, but it was resolved ahead of the final leg.
Evans decided against aggressively pursuing points in the Power Stage yet still accrued 27 points, extending his lead over Neuville to an impressive 36 points, the largest lead recorded after the opening three rounds in WRC history.
Tanak, initially impacted by his mechanical issues, found himself in third place, trailing the leader by 55.4 seconds as teammate Kalle Rovanpera navigated to second. Unfortunately for Rovanpera, his rally took a turn for the worse when he encountered two punctures, the latter occurring while maneuvering around a herd of zebras, resulting in significant damage to his vehicle and extended repairs that dropped him to fifth place.
Neuville’s journey was equally tumultuous. After suffering a driveshaft issue that set him back early in the rally, he faced several penalties due to various issues, including a jump start and a late check-in, which added up to two minutes of time lost. Despite battling through illness and multiple challenges, he managed to secure a podium finish.
Takamoto Katsuta, another Toyota driver, showcased resilience by pushing through food poisoning and multiple punctures to contend for a top position but ultimately faced a dramatic roll in the last stage that jeopardized his finish. His efforts, however, earned him a fifth-place result, while Sami Pajari took advantage of the situation to finish fourth in his WRC debut.
As the rally concluded, M-Sport Ford’s Gregoire Munster had a notable performance, peaking at third before a series of setbacks culminated in a sixth-place finish. Meanwhile, Gus Greensmith claimed the WRC2 title, outperforming Jan Solans after title contender Oliver Solberg faced early retirement due to his vehicle getting trapped in challenging terrain.
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