Welshman and Toyota ace Elfyn Evans is the winner of the third leg of the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC), the Safari Rally, that concluded in Naivasha on Sunday evening.
Evans clocked 4:20:03.8 to win the four-day gruelling journey on a 1:09.9 seconds advantage.
The 2019 world champion Ott Tanak of Estonia (4:21:13.7) and reigning world champion Thierry Neuville of Belgium (4:23:35.8), both of Hyundai, came second and third in that order.
Safari defending champion Kalle Rovanpera of Finland, who started the new WRC season on a sour note in January, had a torrid outing in the Safari where he was forced to retire after his Toyota Yaris Rally 1 machine developed problems in Stage 18 (Oserengoni 1).
Rovanpera was out for a third victory in the Safari Rally where he had hoped to lead the assembled Toyota gang to a podium sweep in honour of their legend Juha Kankkunen who first won the Safari title in 1985.
Last year’s Safari runners-up, Takamoto Katsuta, also of Toyota, saw his dream of bagging another podium finish went up in smoke when he rolled at the final Wolf Power Stage in Hell’s Gate, the venue where President William Ruto awarded Evans for his exemplary performance in the championship yesterday.
Katsuta, arguably the fans’ favourite WRC driver on Kenyan soil, cried inside his car at the finish line where he had driven his vehicle slowly to ensure that he finished the four-day tedious race. The Japanese superstar was overwhelmed with emotions and words failed him when he was approached by journalists to describe his feelings after the unexpected roll.
Carl Tundo was the best-placed Kenyan driver at 15th in 5:31:02.0. He was followed by another Kenyan speedster, Jeremiah Wahome at 16th in 5:49:32.8.
Evans was all joy to lift his first-ever Safari Rally title after four attempts on Kenyan soil, with the best results being a second-place finish in 2022 and a third-place gong in 2023.
His yesterday’s victory sealed a fifth title for Toyota in the Safari which returned to the country in 2021 after a 19-year hiatus.
“It’s been a good run today and the rest of the days in the Safari. We stayed out of trouble always and we are glad we got the car home in one piece.
Today, it was rough on the opening stage (Mzabibu 2) this morning, but we managed to cruise through.
I’m also glad that things have been going on well for us since the start of the new WRC season in January.
Hopefully, we will carry on with this good run in the Safari until the rest of the season,” Evans told Standard Sports.
“Being at the top of the Safari since Friday was not an enjoyable experience. We did much to maintain the lead since we had a lot to lose than to gain while at the apex.
We are happy we did our best to hold on until we finally clinch the cup, also we believe luck played a lot in this victory,” he added.
Evans’ win is the third victory for Toyota in the 14-legged series this season.
The Japanese constructors snatched 1-2 finishes in the WRC opening circuits in Monte Carlo in January
and Sweden in February where Evans finished second and first in that order.
The fourth leg of the series heads to Rally Islas Canarias in Spain on April 24-27.
Results: Top 10 drivers
Elfyn Evans (Toyota ) 4:20:03.8
Ott Tanak (Hyundai) 4:21:13.7
Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) 4:23:35.8
Sami Pajari (Toyota) 4:27:22.5
Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) 4:28:19.5
Gregoire Munster (Ford Puma) 4:31:39.1
Gus Greensmith (Skoda Fabia) 4:34:15.4
Jan Solans (Toyota ) 4:37:30.4
Jourdan Serderidis (Ford Puma) 4:48:49.3
Fabrizio Zaldivar (Skoda Fabia) 4:55:43.6
Ochieng Oyugi
| Mar 23, 2025