Safari Rally: Rovanperä returns King in Kenya | FP

The return of the champion

After the disappointment in Rally Sweden, Kalle Rovanperä he returned to victory in the Safari Rally, historically considered the most difficult of the entire world championship. The Finn, who is competing in a part-time championship this year, achieved his second personal success in Kenya after the one obtained in 2022, also in that case with the Toyota. Furthermore, the Japanese team can celebrate the double thanks to 2nd place Takamoto Katsutawith the podium completed by Adrien Fourmaux. 5th Thierry Neuville, who nevertheless closes an unlucky and full of pitfalls round once again as leader of the world rankings.

Uphill Easter for Neuville

From the first stages on Friday, the difficulties of the Safari Rally saw numerous drivers lose precious seconds due to technical problems or small accidents. The same occurred on Easter Super Sunday, i.e. the final day of the Kenyan rally, and specifically to the detriment of Hyundai. While Lappi has had to deal with another breakdown transmission which pushed him out of the points, was even more unfortunate Thierry Neuville. The Belgian, who entered Africa as world championship leader, had in fact won the SS14, then finishing 3rd in the SS15. However, in the next test, Neuville has damaged the suspension after hitting a rock that ended up in his path following the passage of the cars that had preceded him (the same one that sent him into spin Tänak). An episode that he indirectly favored Elfyn Evans, author of a double in SS15 and SS16 which took him to the top of the Super Sunday rankings and, virtually, of the drivers' championship. Nothing to report, however, in the top-3 of the overall classification of the Safari Rally, with Rovanperä always in the lead and able to manage a reassuring advantage over Katsuta and Fourmaux, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Comeback afternoon

Neuville However, he didn't give up in the afternoon, so much so that he won the SS17 and then came 2nd in the following one. This allowed the Belgian to overtake Evans both in Super Sunday (which has its own ranking) and in the general ranking, returning to defend the leadership in the drivers' world championship, also thanks to the best time in the Power Stage. Excellent performance also by Tänakwho with the triple success from SS17 to the Power stage thus obtained the victory on Super Sunday, with Rovanperä always leading the general classification ahead of Katsuta and Fourmaux. In this way, the Finn thus achieved his first success of the season, becoming the third different driver to win in the first three rallies of 2024.

Safari Rally 2024 – Final ranking (top-10)