Jari-Matti Latvala Returns To WRC Competition

Earlier this week the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team announced team principal Jari-Matti Latvala will return to WRC competition at Rally Finland. 

Latvala Returns To WRC Competition 

Toyota Gazoo Racing Team principal and 18-time WRC event winner Jari-Matti Latvala is returning to WRC competition at this year’s Secto Rally Finland. Latvala will drive the Toyota Yaris Rally1 Hybrid that is usually driven by his former teammate Sebastien Ogier at the event. He will join the usual Toyota crew consisting of Kalle Rovanperä, Elfyn Evans, and Takamoto Katsuta. Latvala has won Rally Finland three times throughout his career, including back-to-back wins in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. 

Latvala’s WRC Career

Jari-Matti Latvala would make his WRC debut in the 2002 Season at Rally GB. Placing 17th overall, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. 2003 would see Latvala compete in four rallies, in Greece, Germany, Finland, and Great Britain. Latvala would drive a Ford Focus RS WRC 03 during the season. His highest finish would be 10th in Greece, Great Britain. The 2004 and 2005 seasons would see Latvala jump around between Junior WRC and other WRC level competition. 

With M-Sport Ford

During the 2006 season, Latvala would race select events with the Ford M-Sport World Rally team and finish 13th in the championship. 2007 would be Latvala’s first full year of WRC competition, and mark the true beginning of six seasons behind a M-Sport car. Latvala would finish eighth in the drivers’ championship, with his highest event finish being third in Rally Ireland. 2008 would see Latvala take a jump in the WRC standings. As he would finish fourth overall, 7 points behind Dani Sordo in the drivers’ championship. Latvala would also take 6 podiums during the season, including his first WRC win at Rally Sweden. The 2009 season would once again see Latvala place 4th in the championship. This time he would finish 23 points behind Dani Sordo. Latvala would podium 4 times during the season, including 1 win. The 2010 season would see Latvala take his first top-three finish in the drivers’ championship. As Latvala would finish 105 points behind Sebastien Loeb. Latvala would finish on the podium 6 times during the season, taking home wins in New Zealand and Finland. Latvala would fall back to fourth in the 2011 drivers championship. As Latvala would finish 24 points behind Sebastien Ogier. Latvala would take home 8 podiums during the season, including a win at Rally GB. Latvala’s final season in a M-Sport Ford car would see him finish 3rd in the championship, finishing 59 points behind Mikko Hirvonen. He would finish on the podium 7 times during the season, including wins at Rally Sweden and Rally GB. 

Moving To Volkswagen 

The 2013 season would see Jari-Matti Latvala jump from M-Sport Ford to the new Volkswagen Motorsport team. He would be joined by Sebastien Ogier at all events and Andreas Mikkelsen at select events. In Latvala’s first season with Volkswagen, he would finish third in the drivers championship, 14 points behind Thierry Neuville. He would finish on the podium seven times during the season, including 1 event win. 2014 would see Latvala move up from 3rd to 2nd in the drivers championship, finishing 49 points behind his teammate Sebastien Ogier. Latvala would finish on the podium 8 times during the season, including wins at Rally Sweden, Argentina, Finland and France. Latvala would also finish second in 2015, this time he would finish 80 points behind Sebastien Ogier. He would finish on the podium 7 times during the season, including wins at Rally Portugal, Finland and France. In 2016 Latvala would fall out of a top three spot in the championship. As he would finish 6th overall, 18 points behind Dani Sordo. In his final season with  Volkswagen, he would finish on the podium just three times, taking home a single event win which came at Rally Mexico. 

Moving To Toyota

Latvala would join the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team in the 2017 season. In his first of three seasons with the team, he would finish fourth in the drivers championship, finishing 55 points behind Ott Tänak. Latvala would once again finish on the podium three times, taking home a single event win which came at Rally Sweden. The 2018 season would once again see Latvala place fourth in the championship, 53 points behind Ott Tänak. He would finish on the podium 5 times during the season, including his final WRC win which would come at Rally Australia. The 2019 season would be Latvala’s final full season of WRC competition. He would finish 7th in the championship, 4 points behind Kris Meeke. Latvala would only finish on the podium twice during the season and would go without a win. 

2020

The 2020 season would see Jari-Matti Latvala without a seat on a manufacturer team. Latvala would still compete during the season in a Toyota Yaris WRC run under Latvala Motorsport. Latvala’s final rally would be the 2020 running of Rally Sweden which he would retire from. He did have plans to attend a couple more events during the season. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic would prevent him from competing in other events as the season had been pretty much cancelled. 

After Competing

The end of the 2020 season would mark the end of Latvala’s time competing in the WRC. Latvala would subsequently join the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team as team principal. In the two seasons since joking Toyota as team principal the team has won 2 Manufacturers championships and 2 Drivers championships. 

The 2023 running of Safari Rally Kenya has come to an end. Sebastien Ogier would take the top step of the Toyota-filled podium.

Day One

The 2023 running of Safari Rally Kenya would start with a single 4.84km SuperSpecial in Nairobi. Ott Tänak would take the win on stage, to take a 0.1-second lead over Sebastien Ogier into the first full day of stages.

Day Two

The second day of Safari Rally Kenya would see drivers race 125.54km across 6 stages. Sebastien Ogier would win 4 of the 6 stages during the day, moving Ogier into first, 22.8 seconds ahead of Kalle Rovanperä. Ott Tänak would fall over three minutes behind Ogier due to a puncture. Kalle Rovanperä and Esapekka Lappi would also each win a stage during the day. Thierry Neuville would temporarily retire from the rally on SS6 due to a suspension issue.

Day Three

The third day of Safari Rally Kenya would see drivers race 150.88km across six stages. Kalle Rovanperä would close the gap between him and Ogier down from 22.8 to 16.7 seconds. Rovanperä would do this by winning 3 of the 6 stages on the day. Sebastien Ogier took two stage wins during the day, Takamoto Katsuta would also take home a stage win. Esapekka Lappi would temporarily retire on SS11 due to a mechanical issue. Lappi’s retirement would pretty much seal the deal on a Toyota 1-2-3-4 finish once again.

Day Four

The fourth and final day of Safari Rally Kenya would see drivers race 75.72km across six stages. Sebastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä would continue to battle for the rally lead. Ogier would ultimately come out on top. Although the eight-time champion would only take a single stage win during the day. Ott Tänak and Kalle Rovanperä would both win two stages during the day. Takamoto Katsuta would also take a stage win. One of Tänak’s stage wins would come during the Powerstage. Meaning Tänak would take home an additional 5 points from the event.

Neuville Disqualified

Thierry Neuville would be disqualified from the rally for illegal recce. Neuville had requested somebody to go on the stages after recce to see where rocks were moved. Per Article 35.4.2 of the 2023 FIA WRC Sporting Regulations, states that: “After the publication of the Supplementary Regulations, only with the express authorisation of the Clerk of the Course and the FIA Rally Department may any person connected with an entered crew travel on or over the route of a special stage of the rally (except on foot). This rule shall apply until that special stage is terminated, open for public traffic and will no longer be used within the rally.” This would come as a blow for Neuville, who would’ve sat 2nd in the Drivers’ Championship, 37 points behind Kalle Rovanperä. Neuville’s disqualification would also mean Ott Tänak would take the Powerstage win. As Neuville had won the powerstage, but the disqualification would result in Tänak having the quickest time on the stage.

Trouble For Hyundai

Neuville’s disqualification wouldn’t be the only trouble for Hyundai during Safari Rally Kenya. As Esapekka Lappi would also experience trouble during the event. Lappi went into day three, fourth overall 10.5 seconds behind Elfyn Evans. On SS8 Evans would stall after a water crossing. This would cause Evans to lose 40.7 seconds to Lappi as a result. Evans and Lappi would battle for third for the rest of day three’s morning loop. With Lappi leading Evans by 49.7 seconds heading into the afternoon loop. Unfortunately, Lappi would be forced to retire on SS11 due to a mechanical issue. This would promote Evans back to third overall, and pretty much confirm a Toyota podium sweep. 

Drivers’ Championship Standings

Coming into Safari Rally Kenya the championship could’ve gone a couple different directions. As 33 separated first and third place. After Safari Rally Kenya the championship is now Kalle Rovanperä’s to lose. As now 42 points separate 1st and 3rd. Elfyn Evans would move into second overall, now sitting 41 points behind Rovanperä. Ott Tänak would remain in third, although he is now tied with Sebastien Ogier, 42 points behind Rovanperä. Thierry Neuville would drop from second to fifth in the championship as a result of taking home no points due to his previously mentioned disqualification. Neuville sits 47 points back from Rovanperä. Realistically the championship still can go any way, but 41 points is a pretty good lead for Rovanperä. Add that to the fact that the next event Rally Estonia is one Rovanperä has won the last two years in a row, and it’s gonna be hard for Rovanperä to drop out of first. 

Drivers’ Championship Standings

1. K Rovanperä 140
2. E. Evans 99
3. S. Ogier 98
4. O. Tänak 98
5. T. Neuville 93

Safari Rally Kenya WRC1 Recaps

Day One

Safari Rally Kenya Day One Recap

Day Two

Safari Rally Kenya Day Two Morning Loop Recap

Safari Rally Kenya Day Two Afternoon Loop Recap

Day Three

Safari Rally Kenya Day Three Morning Loop Recap

Safari Rally Kenya Day Three Afternoon Loop Recap

Day Four

Safari Rally Kenya Day Four Morning Loop Recap

Safari Rally Kenya Day Four Afternoon Loop Recap

The fourth and final day of Safari Rally Kenya has come to an end. Sebastien Ogier would hold on to the lead to take the win. 

SS17, MALEWA 2

Kalle Rovanperä would take the stage win on the first stage of the afternoon loop. As Rovanperä would set a time 0.6 seconds faster than Sebastian Ogier to take the stage win. Takamoto Katsuta would finish third fastest on the stage, 7.4 seconds slower than Ogier. Elfyn Evans set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.7 seconds slower than Katsuta. Dani Sordo would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.7 seconds slower than Evans. 

SS18, OSERIAN 2

Stage 18 of Safari Rally Kenya would see Takamoto Katsuta take the stage win. Katsuta would set a time 11 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans to take the stage win. Kalle Rovanperä would finish third fastest on the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Evans. Dani Sordo set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.8 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Thierry Neuville would round out the top five on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Sordo. 

SS19, HELL’S GATE 2 – WOLF POWER STAGE

The final stage of Safari Rally Kenya would see Ott Tänak take the stage win. Tänak would set a time 0.7 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä to take the stage win. Sebastien Ogier would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, 2.4 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Esapekka Lappi set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.5 seconds slower than Ogier. Elfyn Evans would round out the top five, finishing with a time 2.2 seconds slower than Lappi.

Safari Rally Kenya Day Four Morning Loop Recap

The morning loop of the fourth and final day of Safari Rally Kenya has come to an end. Sebastien Ogier would remain in the lead. 

SS14, MALEWA 1

Kalle Rovanperä would take home the stage win on the 14th stage of Safari Rally Kenya. As Rovanperä would set a time 8.1 seconds faster than Sebastien Ogier to take the stage win. Takamoto Katsuta would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, 3.3 seconds slower than Ogier. Ott Tänak set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.6 seconds slower than Katsuta. Elfyn Evans would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 2.7 seconds slower than Tänak.

SS15, OSERIAN 1

Stage 14 of Safari Rally Kenya would see Sebastien Ogier take the stage win. With Ogier setting a time 8.6 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä to take the stage win. Ott Tänak would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, finishing 7.9 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Elfyn Evans set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.4 seconds slower than Tänak. Thierry Neuville would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 5.6 seconds slower than Evans. 

SS16, HELL’S GATE 1

Ott Tänak would take the stage win on the final stage of Safari Rally Kenya day four’s morning loop. With Tänak setting a time 0.6 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to take the stage win. Kalle Rovanperä would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Neuville. Elfyn Evans set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 3.3 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Sebastien Ogier would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds slower than Evans. 

We are hours away from the start of the fourth and final day of Safari Rally Kenya, but there could be a tough decision made by Toyota before or during the day.

What Tough Decision Does Toyota Have?

Toyota could get Sebastien Oiger and Kalle Rovanperä to swap places on the final day of the event. Ogier leads Rovanperä by 16.7 seconds heading into the final day of Safari Rally Kenya. 

Why This Could Happen

There are a couple of cases why Toyota could want this to happen. With the main reason being Rovanperä needs the championship points more than Ogier at this point in time. Rovanperä leads the 2023 WRC Drivers’ Championship by just 25 points over Thierry Neuville. Neuville currently sits 9th overall, 4 minutes and 13.1 seconds behind Kajetan Kajetanowicz who sits 8th. This means Neuville will likely only take ninth place points (2) and likely powerstage points home in Kenya. Provisionally this finish would put Neuville in a tie for third place with Sebastien Ogier, with both drivers having 95 points, 3 less than Elfyn Evans. If Toyota elects to swap Rovanperä and Ogier, Neuville would likely take sole possession of third. If Rovanperä were to win the event and take home 25 points he’d sit 45 points up on Evans, as opposed to 38 if he took second-place points. Toyota could make this swap happen in a couple different ways, the easiest way would be for Ogier to take a penalty or two and get behind Rovanperä and just lay off a bit. Ogier could also just lay off a bit at the start of SS14. 

Why This Likely Won’t Happen

Although having Rovanperä and Ogier swap places makes sense for Rovanperä’s championship push, it likely won’t happen. Rarely do teams actually do this sort of move because it is risky. A recent example of this scenario playing out came at Rally Sweden earlier this season. When Hyundai decided to have Craig Breen and Thierry Neuville attempt to swap spots. Unfortunately for Neuville and Hyundai, it didn’t work out, as Breen still finished second and Neuville third. This decision may not even be something Toyota talks about due to the risk involved with it. Sure Toyota has a hard lock on the podium at Safari Rally Kenya this weekend, but there is still a risk involved. There’s also no guarantee the swap would work like the previously mentioned example didn’t. There’s also the question of will Rovanperä and Ogier agree to have this happen. As even a second place finish for Rovanperä isn’t a bad result championship wise. It’ll be the question of do Ogier, Rovanperä and Toyota think 7 or so points will increase Rovanperä’s championship hopes by an amount that’s worth it for all involved. 

Safari Rally Kenya Day Three Afternoon Loop Recap

The afternoon loop of the third day of Safari Rally Kenya has come to an end. Sebastien Ogier remains in the lead after the loop.

SS11, SOYSAMBU 2

Stage 11 would see Sebastien Ogier back on top. As Ogier set a time 6.4 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä to take the stage win. Takamoto Katsuta would finish third fastest on the stage, 5.7 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Elfyn Evans set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.7 seconds slower than Katsuta. Dani Sordo would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 7.8 seconds slower than Evans.

SS12, ELMENTEITA 2

Takamoto Katsuta would take the stage win on the 12th stage of Safari Rally Kenya. As Katsuta set a time 2.3 seconds faster than Sebastien Ogier to take his first stage win of the event. Thierry Neuville would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, 1 second slower than Ogier. Elfyn Evans set the fourth fastest time on the stage once again, setting a time 1.6 seconds slower than Neuville. Kalle Rovanperä would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.9 seconds slower than Evans.

SS13, SLEEPING WARRIOR 2

The third and final stage of the third day of Safari Rally Kenya would see Kalle Rovanperä take the stage win. Rovanperä would finish the stage with a time 13.1 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans. Sebastien Ogier set the third fastest time on the stage, 2.2 seconds slower than Evans. Takamoto Katsuta would finish fourth on the stage, 16.6 seconds slower than Ogier. WRC2 driver Oliver Solberg would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 21.3 seconds slower than Katsuta. 

Trouble For Lappi

Esapekka Lappi would unfortunately be forced to retire on SS11. This would come as a result of a technical issue. Lappi sat third overall heading into SS11. With 49.7 seconds separating him and Elfyn Evans who sat in fourth, and 56.3 seconds between him and Kalle Rovanperä who sat in second. This is a rather unfortunate result for both Lappi and Hyundai. As this was Lappi’s first time at Safari Rally Kenya, and Hyundai needed the manufactures points. Now it looks like Toyota will once again take home all three podium spots.

What To Expect For Day Four

The fourth and final day of Safari Rally Kenya will once again feature 6 special stages. Sebastien Ogier leads Kalle Rovanperä by 16.7 seconds heading into the day. Toyota could get Ogier and Rovanperä to swap positions tomorrow. As Rovanperä needs the championship points more than Ogier at this point. Takamoto Katsuta and Elfyn Evans will likely take tomorrow a bit easier. As over 2 minutes separate Evans from Rovanperä, and a minute separates Katsuta from Dani Sordo. Just 16.7 seconds separate Evans and Katsuta, but Katsuta and Evans will likely just let each other race their own race and not try to move up in time. 

Safari Rally Kenya Day Three Morning Loop Recap

The morning loop of the third day of Safari Rally Kenya has come to an end. Sebastien Ogier would remain in the lead after the loop. 

SS8, SOYSAMBU 1

Stage eight of Safari Rally Kenya would see Sebastien Ogier take yet another stage win. Ogier would set a time 7.6 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä to take the stage win. Esapekka Lappi finished third on the stage, 19.2 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Takamoto Katsuta set the third fastest time on the stage, 7.8 seconds slower than Lappi. Ott Tänak would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds slower than Katsuta. 

SS9, ELMENTEITA 1

Stage nine would finally see somebody other than Sebastien Ogier take a stage win. As Kalle Rovanperä would take the win on stage nine of Safari Rally Kenya. With Rovanperä finishing 0.6 seconds faster than Sebastien Ogier to take the win. Elfyn Evans would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, 1.6 seconds slower than Ogier. Esapekka Lappi set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Evans. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 2.6 seconds slower than Lappi.

SS10, SLEEPING WARRIOR 1

The third and final stage of the third day’s morning loop would see Kalle Rovanperä take the stage win once again. Rovanperä set a time 3.5 seconds faster than Esapekka Lappi to take the stage win. Sebastien Ogier finished with the third fastest time on the stage, 4.2 seconds slower than Lappi. Elfyn Evans set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing 14.5 seconds slower than Ogier. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.7 seconds slower than Evans. 

Trouble For Evans

Elfyn Evans would experience a slight setback on SS8. This setback would be caused by a water crossing. Evans would hit a semi-deep water crossing just the wrong way, causing his Yaris to stall as a result. Evans would lose about 40 seconds to Esapekka Lappi because of the stall. Evans would fall to fourth overall and promote Lappi to third due to the time loss.

Safari Rally Kenya Day Two Afternoon Loop Recap

The second day of the Safari Rally Kenya has come to an end. Sébastien Ogier would retain his lead over Kalle Rovanperä. 

SS5, LOLDIA 2

Stage five of Safari Rally Kenya would once again see Sébastien Ogier on top. Ogier would set a time 8.4 seconds faster than Esapekka Lappi to take the stage win. Ott Tänak would finish third on the stage, 1.8 seconds slower than Lappi. Elfyn Evans would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds slower than Tänak. Dani Sordo would round out the top five, finishing 0.9 seconds slower than Evans. 

SS6, GEOTHERMAL 2

The sixth stage of Safari Rally Kenya would see Sébastien Ogier take his second consecutive stage win. Ogier would set a time 1.2 seconds faster than Esapekka Lappi to take the stage win. Kalle Rovanperä would finish third on the stage, 1.4 seconds slower than Lappi. Elfyn Evans would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing 0.5 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.6 seconds slower than Evans.

SS7, KEDONG 2

The seventh and final stage of the second day of Safari Rally Kenya would see Sébastien Ogier take his third consecutive stage win. Ogier would finish 2.4 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä to take home the stage win. Esapekka Lappi would finish third on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Elfyn Evans would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing 7.1 seconds slower than Lappi. Ott Tänak would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 10.9 seconds slower than Evans. 

Trouble For Neuville

Thierry Neuville would be the first major player caught out by Safari Rally Kenya. As Neuville would break his suspension on SS6. This was a rather unfortunate break for Neuville who sat fourth, 5.3 seconds back from Elfyn Evans heading into the stage. Neuville will likely be back out on the stages tomorrow.

What To Expect From Day Three

There’s still plenty of racing to be had at the Safari Rally Kenya. Sebastien Ogier holds a nice 22.8-second lead over Kalle Rovanperä. Expect Rovanperä to try and close that gap down to the low teens tomorrow. Elfyn Evans sits rather comfortably in third, as Esapekka Lappi sits 10.5 seconds behind him and Rovanperä sits 20.7 seconds ahead of him. Lappi will likely look the close the gap between him and Evans to try and get on the podium in his first-ever Safari Rally Kenya. Takamoto Katsuta will also likely be looking to close the gap between himself and Lappi down from 25.4 seconds. Both M-Sport Ford drivers are way behind the pack, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the race. As in Kenya you can lose 10 seconds on a stage and gain 30 on the next. It’s a battle of endurance more than it is a battle of time. Nonetheless, Tänak and Loubet will have a hard time coming back if they wanted to.

Safari Rally Kenya Day Two Loop One Recap

The first loop of the second day of the Safari Rally Kenya has come to an end. Sebastien Ogier leads the pack after SS4.

SS2, LOLDIA 1

Sebastien Ogier would take the first full-stage win of Safari Rally Kenya. Ogier would finish with a time 7.5 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä who would place second on the stage. Elfyn Evans set the third fastest time on the stage, finishing 0.9 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Thierry Neuville finished with the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds slower than Evans. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.9 seconds slower than Neuville.

SS3, GEOTHERMAL 1

Stage three of Safari Rally Kenya would see Esapekka Lappi take the win. Lappi would set a time 1.2 seconds faster than Sebastien Ogier to take the stage win. Takamoto Katsuta would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, finishing 1.1 seconds slower than Ogier. Kalle Rovanperä set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing 1 second slower than Katsuta. Elfyn Evans would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.1 seconds slower than Rovanperä.

SS4, KEDONG 1

Kalle Rovanperä would take the stage win on the third and final stage of the first loop on day two of Safari Rally Kenya. Rovanperä would set a time 8 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to win the stage. Rally leader Sebastien Ogier would finish third on the stage, 1.4 seconds slower than Neuville. Elfyn Evans set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing 4.7 seconds slower than Ogier. Dani Sordo would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 7.9 seconds slower than Evans. 

Zebra Crossing

Safari Rally Kenya is unique in many different ways. One of those ways the rally is unique is the amount of wildlife around and on the event’s stages. Ott Tänak would be the first to get a taste of that wildlife this weekend. As Tänak would lose 6 or so seconds on SS2 due to Zebra’s being in the road. 

Trouble For M-Sport

Ott Tänak came into day two of Safari Rally Kenya with a 0.1-second lead over Sebastien Ogier. Unfortunately, Tänak wouldn’t have much luck on the opening loop of day two. As Tänak would encounter a Zebra crossing on SS2 as previously mentioned as well as a puncture and engine issues on SS4. This would ultimately rob us of a chance to see Ogier and Tänak battle it out during the second day of the event, and maybe even longer. Pierre-Louis Loubet would also experience engine issues on day two. With Loubet experiencing them on the opening stage of the day. It’s unknown if the engine issue was the same for both Tänak and Loubet.

Trouble For Lappi

Esapekka Lappi would take home one stage win on the opening loop. Unfortunately, Lappi wasn’t able to keep his luck heading into the following stage. As Lappi would suffer a puncture on the stage, costing him about 30 seconds in time. 

What To Expect From This Afternoon

Day two of Safari Rally Kenya still has three more stages to run. All of which are repeats of the first three stages of the day. It’s expected the stages will be more rutted, and harder to drive for the drivers. Expect a few drivers to try and move up the leaderboard this afternoon. Namely Ott Tänak who will be looking to have a strong result after only taking home 4 points in Sardegna last month. Kalle Rovanperä and Sebastien Ogier will likely battle it out all afternoon, with both drivers wanting to be first at the end of the day. 

Safari Rally Kenya Tänak Leads After Day One

The first day of the Safari Rally Kenya has come to an end. Ott Tänak leads the pack after the day, with a 0.1-second lead over Ogier. 

Shakedown

2022 Safari Rally Kenya winner Kalle Rovanperä would set the fastest time on the Shakedown stage. As Rovanperä would set a time 1.5 seconds faster than Ott Tänak. Sebastien Ogier set the third fastest time on shakedown, finishing 0.2 seconds slower than Tänak. Thierry Neuville finished with the fourth fastest time on the shakedown stage, finishing 0.2 seconds slower than Ogier. Elfyn Evans would round out the top five on the shakedown stage, finishing 0.1 seconds slower than Neuville.

SSS1, SUPER SPECIAL KASARANI

The first stage of Safari Rally Kenya would see Ott Tänak on top. As Tänak set a time 0.1 seconds faster than Sebastien Ogier to take an early lead. Kalle Rovanperä finished with the third fastest time on the stage, finishing 2.3 seconds slower than Ogier. Thierry Neuville would take fourth on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Eflyn Evans would round out the top five, finishing 0.6 seconds behind Neuville. Esapekka Lappi sits just 0.7 seconds behind Evans at the end of day one.

Trouble For Sordo

Dani Sordo would become the first driver to experience an issue at Safari Rally Kenya. Although it wasn’t a major one, it could still be costly down the road. As Sordo would receive a 10-second penalty for a false start. This would push the Hyundai driver down to 16th overall, 0.5 seconds behind Armin Kramer. If Sordo didn’t receive a penalty he would’ve been in 8th place, 0.8 seconds behind Takamoto Katsuta.