The 2024 Safari Rally is taking on an increasingly similar appearance to that of the 2023 edition for Hyundai Motorsport. After losing Esapekka Lappi in SS5, the team led by Cyril Abiteboul had to deal with the retirement of Ott Tanak.
At kilometer 3.2 of SS6, the 13.12 kilometer Geothermal 2, the 2019 world champion hit a large rock at the entrance to a left-hand bend. This raised the front of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, sending it crashing into a dirt bank on the outside of the bend.
The steering arm and the right front suspension broke in the impact. For Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja there was nothing else to do but park the car on the side of the road and retire.
Now Hyundai has only Thierry Neuville left in the race, who had to deal with a big risk during the test which, however, he managed to manage well and finish without any further problems. Neuville found himself one step away from a ditch, on two wheels. But now he won't have to take too many risks and try to finish the day, perhaps hoping for rain at the start of the next stage to gain a few seconds on those ahead of him.
The test, needless to say, was won by Kalle Rovanpera, fifth consecutive stage taken home, and increasingly leader of the event. Now the reigning two-time world champion has an advantage of 46″4 over his new rival, teammate Takamoto Katsuta. The virtual podium is completed by another Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, that of Elfyn Evans, 4″8 behind second place.
Neuville follows the three Toyotas in fourth place, but has a delay of 11″7 from the lowest step of the podium. The good race of Adrien Fourmaux continues, clearly the best M-Sport driver in the race (certainly not news) and now up in the Top 5 thanks to Ott Tanak's retirement during this test.
Sixth was Gregoire Munster, who did well to improve his times after his first pass on the test made during the Kenyan morning.
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