In a thrilling contest marked by mud, rain and a literal wild animal interruption, Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin emerged victorious from the treacherous Safari Rally Kenya that took place on Saturday. The overnight rain had transformed the course into a muddy nightmare, and the intermittent downpours during the day caused frequent reshuffling of the leaderboard.
Setting out on Saturday morning, Evans held a slim lead of just 7.7 seconds over his double world champion teammates, Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen. However, by day’s end, Evans had secured a comfortable 1’57.4” lead over Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja. This performance also placed him a staggering 4’33.4” ahead of third-place competitors, Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe. This was a significant achievement for Hyundai, marking their best Safari result since the event’s reintegration into the WRC calendar in 2021.
Not all had the same fortune though. Adrien Fourmaux, for instance, didn’t even get to start on Saturday, with his team deciding to save the car for the final day.
Evans, on the other hand, displayed a blend of speed and caution that paid off handsomely. He clinched his first stage win of the rally, and more than doubled his lead on stage 12 following Rovanpera’s unfortunate left-front puncture.
The rally wasn’t short of drama. Stage 11 saw Neuville lose valuable time changing a flat tyre, while Josh McErlean hit a rock causing a puncture that required a stop for a change. Further down the road, a broken steering rack halted the Puma, requiring a 20-minute repair job.
Then came the issues for Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston, whose tyre issues deflated their podium hopes. Stage 12 saw further problems for Munster, who had to stop due to yet another puncture, leaving their M-Sport crew without any spare tyres. Despite facing health issues, Neuville managed to soldier on, refusing to comment at the end of the stage.
In stage 13, Rovanpera had another puncture, ceding 1’20” to Katsuta. But the worst was yet to come for Rovanpera, who had to dodge a herd of zebras on the road in true African Safari style, leading to yet another left-front puncture.
As the rally moved into stage 14, the conditions worsened, with torrential rain making navigation a nightmare. Both Hyundais had to deal with windscreen misting, with Wydaeghe resorting to a selfie-stick and a cloth to clear Neuville’s windscreen!
Evans held his nerve through the worsening conditions, extending his lead to 1’32.5” while Tanak closed the gap to just 17 seconds behind the #69 Yaris.
The final stage of the day was a test of endurance. Amid heavy rain and slippery roads, Evans navigated through the challenging conditions, finishing the day with a comfortable 1’57.4” lead over Tanak, who held a 2’36” lead over Neuville.
Despite his commanding lead, Evans remained grounded, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the rally. “Even with this gap, nothing is guaranteed on this rally. Tomorrow will be demanding and rough, and anything can still happen, so we need to stay focused,” he said.
The final day of the rally promises to be just as thrilling, featuring a return to the Mzabibu stage alongside two runs of the Oserengoni and Hell’s Gate stages. With the second pass of Hell’s Gate serving as the rally-ending Wolf Power Stage, let’s see who emerges victorious at the end of this wild ride.
