(Reuters) – Double world champion Kalle Rovenpera took control of the Safari Rally Kenya with a dominant performance on the opening leg on Friday. The Finnish driver, who is only competing part-time this season, showcased his skills by winning all six stages of the day to build a commanding 56.9 second lead over Elfyn Evans, with Takamoto Katsuta in third place.
“It has been a really good day for us,” Rovenpera shared his thoughts on the rough gravel stages around Lake Naivasha. “I felt I could manage the pace quite well. I was quite happy pushing hard when the conditions were good, and then especially this afternoon taking care of the car and the tyres in the rough places and still we could have good times.”
Unfortunately, Hyundai’s Espekka Lappi and Ott Tanak faced setbacks during the rally. Lappi had to retire due to a transmission failure, while Tanak broke his car’s steering after hitting a rock and pitching into an earth bank while running in second place.
Despite some challenges, championship leader Thierry Neuville managed to stay in the competition. Neuville, who had a strong start with the fastest time in Thursday’s opening stage, fell to fourth place after suffering tyre damage in the morning. However, he made a comeback in the afternoon to regain ground on his rivals.
M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux secured fifth place, with teammate Gregoire Munster following in sixth. The stage is set for a thrilling Saturday, as it features six more stages and a total competitive distance of 160.96km, with rain expected to make conditions even more challenging.
“If some big rain comes we know that the gaps can be huge and you can lose a lot of time,” Rovenpera acknowledged the potential impact of weather on the rally. “So we’ll just try to keep on working the same way as we did today.”
With Rovenpera leading a Toyota one-two-three, the competition is heating up as drivers gear up for another intense day of racing. Stay tuned for more updates on Safari Rally Kenya.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
