Toyota's Elfyn Evans leads Safari Rally Kenya after a dramatic Friday that saw early leader Ott Tanak face mechanical issues. The challenging leg featured eight brutal stages across the Great Rift Valley, testing crews with rocks, mud, ruts, and fesh-fesh dust.

Tanak dominated early with four stage wins and built a one-minute lead before a driveshaft failure relegated his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 to third place, 55.4 seconds behind Evans. The Toyota driver maintained a steady pace despite not winning any stages, showcasing the importance of consistency in the WRC's toughest event.

Kalle Rovanpera holds second place, just 7.7 seconds behind teammate Evans, despite a spin in Kedong 1. Reigning champion Thierry Neuville sits fourth after multiple setbacks, including transmission issues and time penalties.

The day proved particularly challenging for several competitors:

• Adrien Fourmaux retired with a broken steering arm
• Takamoto Katsuta dropped to fifth with multiple tire issues
• Josh McErlean battled exhaust problems and equipment damage

In WRC2, Kajetan Kajetanowicz leads after Oliver Solberg's retirement, holding a 10.2-second advantage over Gus Greensmith's Skoda Fabia RS.

Saturday's leg features six stages covering 91 competitive miles, including two runs through the 16.7-mile Sleeping Warrior stage.

Top 5 Standings after Friday:

1. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota) 2h00m45.4s
2. Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota) +7.7s
3. Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai) +55.4s
4. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai) +1m31.4s
5. Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota) +3m26.4s

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