The Safari Rally, the third event of the 2024 WRC, officially started in the early afternoon of today with Special Test 1, the 4.84 kilometer Super Special Kasarani in which the drivers competed one on one on a track created near Nairobi.
Thierry Neuville achieved the best time in 3'19″9, beating teammate Ott Tanak by just a tenth. The 1-2 Hyundai is a good omen for the Korean manufacturer, even if the absence of the classic snorkel – included instead on the Toyotas and Fords – could create problems during the race.
Meanwhile, Neuville is the first leader of the general classification, in a weekend in which he will not have to focus so much on winning special stages, but on making sure to limit errors and problems to get to Sunday still in the race. At the Safari, this is perhaps the only possible tactic, especially with the risk of rain always looming.
Kalle Rovanpera is third at the wheel of the first official Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, 8 tenths behind Neuville and 7 tenths behind Tanak. Behind him, just a tenth slower, is teammate Takamoto Katsuta.
Closing out the Top 5 is Esapekka Lappi, the first rider in the general classification to be more than second behind the Belgian. The Finn from Hyundai Motorsport was 2 tenths faster than Elfyn Evans, sixth with the last Toyota in the race and 1.7 seconds behind Neuville.
The two official Ford Puma Rally1s close the Rally1 classification with priority 1. Adrien Fourmaux, who dueled with Tanak in his battery, is seventh, 2″2 from the top. Gregoire Munster is much further away, at 8″6, but still eighth overall ahead of the first Rally2, Oliver Solberg's Skoda Fabia RS.
The first stage of the Safari Rally will resume tomorrow morning with Special Stage 2, the 19.17 kilometer Loldia 1. The first car, the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 number 11 of world leaders Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, will start at 06:15 Italian time.
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