Evans Dominates Rain-Soaked Safari Rally Kenya with Near 2-Minute Lead
Elfyn Evans maintains a commanding 1m57.4s lead after a dramatic Saturday at Safari Rally Kenya, weathering treacherous conditions that saw many competitors face significant challenges.
Rally car races through dusty turn
The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver navigated through extreme conditions ranging from dust clouds to rain-soaked mud baths, while his competitors encountered numerous setbacks. Evans' lead expanded significantly when teammate Kalle Rovanpera suffered multiple tire deflations and suspension damage, dropping to fifth place overall.
Second-placed Ott Tanak trails Evans by 1m57.4s, despite battling visibility issues and a deflated tire in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1. Thierry Neuville holds third position, 4m33.4s behind the leader, overcoming food poisoning, punctures, and engine problems throughout the day.
Takamoto Katsuta, also dealing with illness, secured two stage wins but fell to fourth overall after requiring a wheel change on the final test. Sami Pajari and Gregoire Munster occupy sixth and seventh positions respectively.
In WRC2, Gus Greensmith leads Jan Solans by a mere 5.8s in their Skoda Fabia RS and Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, respectively, setting up an intense battle for Sunday's finale.
The final leg features five stages totaling 40.93 competitive miles, including the bonus-points Hell's Gate 2 Power Stage, where the challenging Safari conditions could still influence the final outcome.
Top 5 Overall Standings after Saturday:
- Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota) - 3h38m39.3s
- Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai) +1m57.4s
- Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai) +4m33.4s
- Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota) +5m06.6s
- Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota) +6m06.0s