voi safari rally 2023

WRC Safari Rally Kenya

Held on the untamed terrains of africa’s breathtaking landscapes where the weather can change in a matter of minutes. mud, rocks, fesh-fesh sand and challenging water crossings make safari rally kenya the ultimate test of endurance. | fia world rally championship official website. keep up-to-date with the latest news, rally results, wrc standings, calendar updates, video highlights and schedules from every rally. watch the wrc live and on demand with rally.tv.

Duration:0hours

Date:Thu, 22 Jun 2023 06:52:00 GMT

Ogier wins WRC Safari Rally to head Toyota’s Kenya sweep

By RACER Staff June 25, 2023 10:59 AM

By RACER Staff | June 25, 2023 10:59 AM ET

Sebastien Ogier defied teammate Kalle Rovanpera’s charge to head home a dream 1-2-3-4 finish for Toyota Gazoo Racing on a dramatic final day at WRC Safari Rally Kenya.

Ogier (above) , who’s chosen to run only a limited FIA World Rally Championship program, recorded his third victory from just five starts so far this season. But his rally very nearly unraveled in Sunday’s second special stage, Oserian 1, when a patch of Kenya’s infamous, soft and deep fesh-fesh sand sent his GR Yaris Rally1 wide on a right-hand turn.

The Frenchman, fighting hard to recover time lost to Rovanpera in the day’s rocky opener, Malewa 1, clipped a tree and ripped off his car’s entire rear tailgate. Amazingly, he still won the stage and made all the time back, then patched the gap using a trash-can liner to keep dust at bay in the following Hell’s Gate 1.

More permanent repairs in service did not conclude the drama, however, as all four Yaris crews completed the penultimate stage with dust-induced overheating engines. Ogier, one of the hardest hit, saw his lead reduced to just 9.2s before the rally-closing, bonus points-paying Wolf Power Stage finale. There, where the eight-time WRC champ’s run was again not without incident, arriving at the flying finish with a cracked windshield from a flicked-up rock.

Despite the late incident, he was able to secure the win by 6.7s and spearhead Toyota’s second clean sweep in as many Safari Rallies.

Kenya’s President, William Ruto, presented Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais with their trophies, commemorating Ogier’s second win at the event, amid stunning scenery at Hell’s Gate.

“Unbelievable! Look at that, even on the Power Stage I got a stone on the windscreen,” said Ogier. “We had a lot of issues to face, but it couldn’t have been a more comfortable rally for us in terms of pace. A lot of misfortune but we brought it home.”  

It’s three wins from just five 2023 WRC starts for potent part-timer Sebastien Ogier. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT photo

Finishing in second place felt like a personal victory for defending WRC champ Rovanpera, who extended his 2023 drivers’ championship lead to 37 points after round seven of 13.

“You always want to fight for the win, but we did our best starting first car on the road, so regarding that I think it’s not fully bad,” noted the 22-year-old Finn. “Good points for the season anyway.”

Second for reigning WRC champ Kalle Rovanpera delivered a decent points haul in his title defense. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT photo

Takamoto Katsuta’s hopes of surpassing Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans and achieving a third Safari Rally podium vanished when his Yaris’s hybrid unit stopped working, sapping vital performance. The Japanese driver settled for fourth overall, 25.3s back from Evans, with Ogier and Rovanpera almost three minutes up the road from the third-placed Welshman.

Dani Sordo overcame power steering failure in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 during Sunday’s third stage to finish an isolated fifth at the end of a testing weekend for Hyundai Motorsport, which now trails Toyota by 42 points in the WRC manufacturers’ title race.

Of the other Hyundais, early podium challenger Esapekka Lappi was way down the order after being plagued by transmission issues in his i20 N, while Thierry Neuville, recovering from suspension failure on Friday, could only roll home eighth, almost 25 minutes off the lead. The Belgian did take the five bonus points for winning the Power Stage and maintains second in the WRC standings, but closing down a 37-point deficit to Rovanpera will be a tough ask.  

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville is playing catchup in the WRC points battle after a disappointing Safari. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

Tire troubles earlier in the rally prevented M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 drivers Ott Tanak and Pierre-Louis Loubet from mounting any form of attack. They finished sixth and seventh respectively, with Tanak taking the slim consolation of second-fastest time through the Power Stage.  

In WRC2, the second tier of international rallying, Kajetan Kajetanowicz secured his second Safari Rally class win in as many years with a masterful drive in the typically challenging conditions.

The Pole cruised to Sunday afternoon’s finish in his Skoda Fabia Evo more than 11 minutes in front of nearest-placed challenger Martin Prokop, moving from ninth to fourth in the WRC2 standings as a result.  

Kajetanowicz had battled with M-Sport Ford youngster Gregoire Munster through Friday and Saturday, but found himself comfortably clear at the top when the Fiesta Mk II driver pulled over with a mechanical issue. A measured run through Sunday’s closing six special stages was all that was needed to bring home the victory and finish ninth overall.

“We did it again! It’s an amazing feeling. It seemed to be easy, but it wasn’t. Thank you to my team and Maciej — I think we did quite a good job,” said Kajetanowicz, referencing his co-driver Maciej Szczepaniak.

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville is playing catchup in the WRC points battle after a disappointing Safari. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool 

Completing the overall top 10, Oliver Solberg’s Skoda finished just 30.6s behind Kajetanowicz’s similar car, but with only seven rounds counting toward the WRC2 championship, the 21-year-old Swede had elected not to register for class points in Kenya.  

The FIA World Rally Championship returns to Europe next month when the super-fast gravel roads of Rally Estonia host round eight, July 20-23.

WRC Safari Rally Kenya, final positions after Day Three, SS19 1 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 3h30m42.5s 2 Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +6.7s 3 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2m58.5s 4 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +3m23.8s 5 Dani Sordo/Candido Carrera (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +5m05.4s 6 Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1) +9m14.4s 7 Pierre-Louis Loubet/Nicolas Gilsoul (M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1) +16m15.7s 8 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +24m47.0s 9 Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak (Skoda Fabia Evo – WRC2 winner) +26m33.4s 10 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Skoda Fabia Evo – RC2/non-points) +27m04.0s

WRC Drivers’ Championship after 7 rounds 1 Rovanpera 139 points 2 Neuville 102 3 Evans 98 4 Ogier 97 5 Tanak 97

WRC Manufacturers’ Championship after 7 rounds 1 Toyota Gazoo Racing 283 points 2 Hyundai Motorsport 241 3 M-Sport Ford 174    

Check out WRC.com , the official home of the FIA World Rally Championship. And for the ultimate WRC experience, sign up for a WRC+ All Live subscription to watch all stages of every rally live and on demand, whenever and wherever.

Safari Rally , WRC , Rallying

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Saturday highlights – Kenya

Fia world rally championship 2023.

Watch highlights from Saturday's stage over rocky and rutted tracks on the challenging closed dirt roads, which are transformed in unpredictable weather.

Friday highlights – Kenya

Watch highlights from friday's stage over rocky and rutted tracks on the challenging closed dirt roads., watch highlights from saturday's stage over rocky and rutted tracks on the challenging closed dirt roads., sunday highlights – kenya, watch highlights from sunday's stage over rocky and rutted tracks on the challenging closed dirt roads., continue browsing.

• Live events

WRC Safari Rally full Events' schedule

The 2023 WRC Safari Rally starts in Naivasha as Top drivers fight for great honors in one of the world's toughest rallies

World Rally Championship (WRC) 2023 season enters its second half with the highly-anticipated, legendary Safari Rally in Naivasha set for  22 to 25 June.

Here is the full program and schedule of events ahead of the start of the 2023 Word rally Championship Safari rally.

Tuesday 20 June (Past)

7:00-17:00: Reconnaissance Day 2 (Route)

13:30-20:00: Scrutineering / Component sealing for all other competitors (Service Park)

19:00: Drivers' Safety Briefing mandatory for all drivers and co-drivers participating in their first WRC event in 2023 

Wednesday 21 June 

10:01 - 11:30: Shakedown -P1 and invited competitors (Loldia)

11:31 - 13:00 Shakedown- all priority competitors (Loldia)

13:01 - 14:00: Shakedown- non-priority competitors (Loldia)

1400: FIA pre-rally press conference (Media Centre)

Thursday 22 June 

10:00 Reconnaissance of SSS 1 (Kasarani)

12:46: Ceremonial Start (Uhuru Park)

14:05: Super Special (Kasarani)

Friday 23 June 

Loldia, Geothermal, Kedong (Loop To Be Repeated)

Saturday 24 June 

Soysambu, Elementeita, Sleeping Warrior (Loop To Be Repeated)

Sunday 25 June 

Malewa, Oserian, Hell’s Gate (Loop To Be Repeated)

14:15: Wolf Power Stage(Hell’s Gate 2)

16:00: Finish Podium Ceremony (Service Park)

WORLD RALLY TEAMS-WRT

TOTOTA GAZOO RACING WRT-GR Yaris Rally 1 Hybrid

Kalle Rovanperä (Finland)

Sébastien Ogier (France)

Elfyn Evans (Wales) 

Takamoto Katsuta, (Japan). 

HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WRT-i20 N Rally 1Hybrid

Esapekka Lappi (Finland)

Thierry Neuville (Belgium)

Dani Sordo (Spain)

M-SPORT FORD WRT-Puma Rally 1. Hybrid

Ott Tänak (Estonia)

Pierre-Louis Loubet (France)

Jourdan Serderidis (Privateer-Greece)

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CHANA AMBITIOUS

Iceman ready to ruffle feathers in the 2023 wrc safari rally.

During the iconic Safari, Iceman will strive to maintain his lead on the KNRC log as he will be taking part in the national category.

•Iceman took over the lead from Jeremiah Wahome following a podium finish in the recently concluded ARC Equator Rally in Voi, where defending champion Karan Patel emerged as the victor.

•The Nairobi-based driver is expected to drive his Japanese-made Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X in next month’s KNRC 3 Nakuru Rally, where he will test drive it and indeed fine-tune it, well in time for Kenya’s World rally Championship (WRC) leg.

Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) leader Jasmeet Chana aka Iceman anticipates significant reliability from his Japanese marque in the four-day 2023 WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2023 slated for June 22-25 in Naivasha.

Iceman took over the lead from Jeremiah Wahome following a podium finish in the recently concluded ARC Equator Rally in Voi, where defending champion Karan Patel emerged as the victor.

The Nairobi-based driver is expected to drive his Japanese-made Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X in next month’s KNRC 3 Nakuru Rally, where he will test drive it and indeed fine-tune it, well in time for Kenya’s World rally Championship (WRC) leg.

Jasmeet is currently one of the few drivers in the country to have won virtually all tiers of the KNRC— twice as 2WD champion, Group N and Division One among others.

He is currently the defending Group ‘N’ champion after finishing second in the KNRC main class last season behind Karan Patel.

In Voi, Iceman came third overall and second in KNRC, a performance that catapulted him to the summit of the national standings.

Sponsorship permitting, Iceman is keen to embark on a Rally 2 (the former R5) drive, with Skoda, VW and Ford Fiesta high on the list of his priorities.

“Right now, I feel I am cruising faster than ever. I am now driving my Evolution X at 100 percent potential and it is my hope that the car will be in the best possible shape on Safari,” said Chana following the title success.

“I have managed to get good positions in an underpowered car and I feel  I can get a bit more speed if I upgrade. But then again, it will all depend on sponsorships to get to the next level of my driving career.”

“Let’s see what the future holds for me but I feel I need a super marque car to do competitive motorsport again,” he said.

Iceman is contesting the full season of the KNRC and hopes to lay his hands on the coveted main class title which is the only prize he is yet to win on the national circuit. He is determined to ruffle feathers despite the underpowered nature of the car as compared to the Rally 2s. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the ‘Evo’, is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016.

KNRC calendar

 Feb 4-5: KNRC 1 – RSC Rally (RSC)

Mar 18-19: KNRC2-ARC2 Equator Rally Kenya   ( KMSF)

 May 20-21: KNRC 3-Nakuru Rally (RVMSC)

 Jun 22-25: KNRC 4 WRC Safari Rally Kenya (KMSF)

Aug 5-6 : KNRC 5- Nanyuki Rally   (NRG)

 Sep 9-10: KNRC 6- Mombasa Rally - MMC

 Oct 7-8: KNRC 7 - KMSC Rally (KMSC)

 Nov 4-5: KNRC 8 Guru Nanak Rally- SUC

Dec 2-3: KNRC 9 – KRT Rally (KRT)

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General Information

• Previous Editions 1979 1993 2000 2001 2002 2007 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 (13)
• Date 21. - 25. June 2023
• Time Zone UTC+3
• Country Kenya
• Total Length 1191.06 km
• www https://safarirally.ke/
• Results ewrc-results.com
• Tags Naivasha, Kenya, Safari, Safari Rally, Nairobi, Safari Rally Kenya Safari Rally Kenya 2023 route map, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 stage diagramms, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 route plot, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 specialstage maps, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 stage maps, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 stage plot, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 locations, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 charts, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 sketches, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 parcours, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 tracé, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 carte, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 percorso, Safari Rally Kenya 2023 mappa
• Last updated 8 July 2023 - 07:34:29 UTC
• Rally Italia Sardegna 2024 [WRC]
• Rally Finland 2024 [WRC]

Championships

• WRC - World Rally Championship

Coordinates

Geo qr-code.

wrc safari rally

WRC's most gruelling challenge, The Great Kenyan Experience.

#WRCSafariRally 2024 Winners

Latest News

Latest news and updates from the WRC Safari Rally 2024

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Meet the drivers.

Meet the Kenyan Drivers participating in the Safari Rally 2024

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Škoda Fabia R5

Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo

Ford Fiesta R5

Ford Fiesta Rally3

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