In Nairobi, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen emerged victorious at the Safari Rally Kenya, with Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville extending his lead in the championship by six points despite finishing in fifth place. Double world champion Rovanpera, who is competing in selected events this season before a full return in 2025, led from Friday and finished with a comfortable lead of one minute and 37.8 seconds ahead of his teammate Takamoto Katsuta on the challenging gravel roads.
Adrien Fourmaux of M-Sport Ford secured third place in the rally.
Rovanpera expressed his joy at winning the event, stating, “It’s always special to win here. Also, a legendary event for Toyota. We’ve always been so good here and that’s continuing. I don’t think you can have a better Safari Rally than we did. No issues, clever driving and I think it was a good effort.”
With a lead of two minutes and eight seconds by Saturday night, Rovanpera faced no pressure throughout Sunday’s final leg of the race, which took place on both sides of Lake Naivasha, known for its rough terrain.
Neuville, who finished behind Toyota’s Elfyn Evans in fourth place, managed to win the final Power Stage, earning five bonus points and further extending his lead over his Welsh rival in the championship standings after three rounds.
Toyota currently holds a four-point lead over Hyundai in the manufacturers’ championship standings as the teams gear up for the next round in Croatia, scheduled to take place on asphalt from April 18-21.
Reporting from London, Alan Baldwin, with editing by Clare Fallon
