The Safari Rally 2023 restarted this morning with the PS2, the 19.17-kilometre Loldia 1, which is the first real test of the seventh event of the 2023 WRC after the stage show that opened the race yesterday.
The factory Toyota GR Yaris took center stage, signing a sensational hat-trick thanks to Sébastien Ogier, Kalle Rovanpera and Elfyn Evans. There could not have been a better good morning for the Japanese company.
But the one who really made the difference was the 8 times world champion. In a race that he already won 2 years ago, the Frenchman immediately annihilated the competition this morning, overtaking everyone with very heavy gaps.
Suffice it to say that between Ogier and Rovanpera – the first of his pursuers – there was a 7″5 second gap at the end of the special. Evans, on the other hand, did 9 tenths worse than the reigning world champion, stopping at 8″4.
Ogier brought to bear his excellent starting position, knowledge of the stage and the usual, timeless talent in the most extreme conditions that the WRC presents during this season.
Behind the three Toyotas is the first Hyundai i20 N Rally1, that of Thierry Neuville. The Belgian was 3/10ths slower than Evans, but in the general standings he is third behind Ogier and Rovanpera. To demonstrate Toyota’s supremacy in this start of the race here is Takamoto Katsuta’s fifth place in the stage and in the general classification, author of an accident in Wednesday’s Shakedown and already in the Top 5 today.
The day of the former leader of the race, Ott Tanak, got off to a bad start. The M-Sport driver was slowed down in practice by 2 zebras, which ended up grazing on the trajectory between the second and third sectors. Ott had to slow down to avoid the crash, losing seconds. The same thing happened to Dani Sordo, also on Tanak’s times, actually faster, but held back by the typical Kenyan fauna.
Much more difficult Esapekka Lappi and Pierre-Louis Loubet, both making their first appearance at the Safari Rally of their career at the wheel of a Rally1 car.
Oliver Solberg continues to lead the WRC2 at the wheel of a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo prepared for the occasion with additional grilles and an old-fashioned tailpipe to tackle the perils of the African trials. Kajetan Kajetanowicz is the first of the pursuers, but already pays almost 40 seconds from the Norwegian.
Safari Rally – WRC 2023 – Leaderboard after PS2
pos. | Pilot/navigator | Car | Time/detachment | Penalty |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ogier/Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 17’04”7 | |
2 | Rovanpera/Halttunen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +9″8 | |
3 | Neuville/Wydaeghe | Hyundai i20N Rally1 | +11″3 | |
4 | Evans/Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +11″6 | |
5 | Katsuta/Johnston | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +14″6 | |
6 | Tanak/Jarveoja | Ford Puma Rally1 | +15″1 | |
7 | Lappi/Ferm | Hyundai i20N Rally1 | +21″4 | |
8 | Deaf/Carrera | Hyundai i20N Rally1 | +27″5 | +0’10” |
9 | Loubet/Gilsoul | Ford Puma Rally1 | +42″1 | |
10 | Solberg/Edmondson | Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo | +53″7 |
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