Toyota Gazoo Racing Dominates Safari Rally Kenya for A Fourth Consecutive Year
The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team has once again proven its dominance on the toughest round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the legendary Safari Rally Kenya. The team has secured its fourth consecutive victory on the demanding African event, with Kalle Rovanperä and Takamoto Katsuta finishing first and second, respectively.
The result extends Toyota’s all-time Safari record to 12 victories, further cementing the team’s prowess on the challenging terrain. Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen’s victory was built on a phenomenal performance on the first full day of the rally, where they were fastest in all six stages to open up a lead of almost one minute.
The GR YARIS Rally HYBRID, with its updated suspension package and distinctive snorkel system, once again demonstrated its strength and reliability on the Safari’s rough and rocky stages. Rovanperä’s ability to take caution where required on the longest and toughest day on Saturday, while still winning the rally’s longest stage by nearly 25 seconds, was a testament to the car’s capabilities.
Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston also delivered a well-measured rally, overcoming a double puncture that had cost them over a minute to secure their third podium result from four starts in Kenya, repeating their second-place finish from 2021.
Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin rounded out the top four, despite sustaining punctures on three separate occasions through Saturday’s challenging stages. Their determination to score as many points as possible on Sunday, where they were third-fastest over the day and fifth in the Power Stage, was a commendable effort.
With its one-two finish, the TGR-WRT team took the maximum manufacturers’ points from the overall classification plus an extra 11 bonus points on Sunday, moving into a four-point lead in the championship. Evans’ strong performance keeps him second in the drivers’ standings, just six points from the lead.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team’s continued dominance of the Safari Rally Kenya is a testament to the team’s engineering prowess, driver talent, and the reliability of the GR YARIS Rally HYBRID. As the championship continues, the team will undoubtedly be the one to watch as they look to maintain their winning streak on the toughest rallies in the world.
