Welsh driver Elfyn Evans delivered a commanding performance to win the Safari Rally Kenya, extending his World Rally Championship (WRC) lead to an impressive 36 points after three rounds.
Evans Secures Back-to-Back Wins
The 36-year-old Toyota Gazoo Racing driver secured consecutive victories for the first time in his WRC career, finishing more than a minute ahead of Estonian Ott Tänak. Hyundai’s Tänak had initially led the race before a driveshaft failure on Friday dashed his hopes of victory. Meanwhile, Evans’ Toyota teammate, Kalle Rovanperä, was forced to retire after encountering multiple technical issues.
Evans’ triumph in Kenya marks his first Safari Rally victory and extends Toyota’s dominance in the event, with the manufacturer securing five consecutive wins.
A Historic Lead in the Championship
Reflecting on his victory, Evans expressed gratitude to his team and the warm welcome from Kenyan fans:
“A huge well done to the team; they did a great job, and I’m proud to be a part of Toyota’s history in this special rally. Thank you to everyone in Kenya for such an amazing experience.”
With this win, Evans has set a new WRC record for the largest championship lead ever recorded after three rounds.
Tactical Approach Secures Victory
Evans and co-driver Scott Martin took a conservative approach on Sunday, opting for a safety-first strategy across the final five stages. Despite giving up 47 seconds on the last day, they still finished with a 1 minute 9.9 seconds lead over Tänak, while Thierry Neuville trailed by a further two minutes 22 seconds.
Although Evans collected just two Sunday points, his 25-point victory from the rally boosted his total to 88 points. His season so far includes a win in Sweden and a runner-up finish in Rallye Monte Carlo.
Current WRC Standings
Neuville’s third-place finish sees him climb from fourth to second in the standings with 52 points, while Tänak holds third place with 49 points.
McErlean Shows Promise Despite Setbacks
Northern Irish driver Josh McErlean faced challenges in his third WRC race, losing 29 minutes on Saturday after breaking a steering arm on his Ford M-Sport Puma. However, he bounced back on Stage 15, recording the second-best time and securing his best performance in a Rally1 car. McErlean finished 11th overall, earning one Super Sunday point to maintain 11th place in the championship standings.
What’s Next?
The WRC action continues with Round 4 at the Rally Islas Canarias, scheduled for April 24-27.
Safari Rally Kenya Final Results
- Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota – 4h 20m 3.8s
- Ott Tänak (Estonia), Hyundai – +1m 09.9s
- Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai – +3m 32.0s
- Sami Pajari (Finland), Toyota – +7m 18.7s
- Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota – +8m 15.7s
- Grégoire Munster (Luxembourg), Ford – +11m 35.3s
- Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford – +37m 15.8s
WRC Standings (Provisional)
- Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota – 88 points
- Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai – 52 points
- Ott Tänak (Estonia), Hyundai – 49 points
- Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota – 35 points
- Sébastien Ogier (France), Toyota – 33 points
- Kalle Rovanperä (Finland), Toyota – 31 points
- Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford – 7 points
Stay tuned for more WRC updates and in-depth analysis as the championship continues!
