Evans wins Safari Rally Kenya to extend WRC lead

Welsh rally driver Elfyn Evans extended his lead at the top of the World Rally Championship’s (WRC) standings with a dominant victory at the grueling Safari Rally Kenya on Sunday. The Toyota driver made it back-to-back wins having won the last round in Sweden and now, after three of the 14 rounds, holds a 36-point lead over defending champion Thierry Neuville in the title race.

Evans and co-driver Scott Martin emerged from a grueling 21-stage rally of attrition with victory by 1m09.9s from Hyundai’s Ott Tanak. Reigning world champion Neuville recovered to third, 3m32.0s off Evans, to mark Hyundai’s best-ever Safari result.

However, the day’s biggest shock was the retirement of Finland’s Kalle Rovanperä, who was forced to park his Toyota due to a flat battery after the day’s opening stage. The two-time World Rally Champion had high hopes of salvaging valuable points and clinch his third Safari Rally title in a row, but mechanical failure meant he would leave the African event empty-handed.

Rovanperä showed early promise in the rally and was as close as 7.7 seconds to the lead at one point. However, his hopes of victory took a hit on Saturday morning when two punctures dropped him more than a minute behind his Toyota teammate Evans. Despite pushing hard to recover, further misfortune struck in the afternoon loop when he broke his rear-left suspension against a rock, forcing him to limp through the remaining stages and fall to fifth place.

Evans expressed his joy at securing the hard-fought win, emphasizing the effort his team put in.

Evans, who has finished as runner-up in the WRC championship on four occasions, showcased his skill and composure by driving a controlled race and avoiding the treacherous hazards of the Safari Rally.

“A huge well done to the team,” Evans added. “They did a great job, and I’m proud to be a very small part of Toyota’s history at this special rally.”

Further down the standings, Finland’s Sami Pajari (Toyota) secured fourth place, while his Japanese teammate Takamoto Katsuta had a dramatic end to the rally. Katsuta, who had been on course for a fourth-place finish, rolled his Toyota on the final stage while pushing for crucial bonus points. Thanks to the efforts of nearby spectators who helped get his car back on its wheels, he managed to finish and collect 10 valuable points.

Reflecting on the incident, Katsuta said, “I don’t know what happened. Just sorry for the team, nothing else.”

With the Safari Rally win, Evans now leads the FIA WRC driver’s championships with 88 points as Neuville moved up from fourth place to second on 52 points, with Tanak third on 49.

With the Safari Rally now concluded, the WRC season moves on to the next challenge. The next round of the championship will take place at the end of April with the Rally of the Canary Islands, where Evans will look to extend his impressive start to the season.

During his closing remarks as the curtains fell on the 72nd edition of WRC, President William Ruto said Kenya will build on the success of the 2025 World Rally Championship Safari Rally to make the 2026 edition better further emphasizing that the success will also be used to create opportunities for growth and innovation next year.

“As we look ahead, we invite all of you to join us once again for the 73rd edition of the WRC Safari Rally in 2026. We will continue to build on the success of this year, creating more opportunities for growth, innovation, and excitement for both participants and spectators,” Ruto said.