In the unavoidable setting of Kenya and in perhaps the toughest and most difficult edition in its recent history, Elfyn Evans took victory in the Safari Rally, significantly strengthening his lead in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
The Welsh driver of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, navigated by Scott Martin, beat Hyundai rival Ott Tänak by 1m9.9s, securing his second win of the season. With this result, Evans has opened up his biggest ever lead in the championship after three races on the WRC calendar.
After winning in Sweden and taking second place in the Monte Carlo Rally, Evans arrived in Africa on a wave of confidence and produced a flawless performance. His 36-point lead in the drivers' championship means that, even with one race to go, he will arrive at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal in the lead of the championship.
This success was built up over a demanding four-day route, which began on Thursday in Nairobi and travelled through the unforgiving Rift Valley in the heart of Kenya. As always, the Safari attracted impressive crowds - police authorities estimate that more than 250,000 fans attended the specials this year, up from 188,000 in 2024.
Evans took the lead on Friday when Tänak, who was initially leading, was delayed by a broken axle shaft on his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 - and from then on, he never looked back.
Even so, his race was not without its difficulties. He had to overcome punctures and spins in the first stages, and on Sunday he carefully managed an electrical problem until the end. Tänak narrowed the gap in the final stages, but Evans resisted and joined the restricted group of British Safari winners, following in the footsteps of the legends Colin McRae and Richard Burns.
‘I want to thank everyone in Kenya for the warm welcome’, said a smiling Evans. ‘It's been an incredible rally, I have to say. Congratulations to the team - they've done a fantastic job, and I'm proud to be part of Toyota's history on this very special rally.’
Tänak shared the podium with team-mate and reigning world champion Thierry Neuville, who finished at 2m22.1s after a weekend full of setbacks. The Belgian began facing problems on Friday, with a one-minute penalty for changing the gearbox out of time, followed by additional penalties for a false start and late arrival while repairing damage to the car's cooling system on Saturday.
Despite the setbacks, Hyundai's double podium marked its best ever result in Safari. In contrast, despite Evans' victory, this was the first edition of the rally in which Toyota GAZOO Racing didn't put more than one car on the podium.
A possible 1-2 for Toyota seemed assured, until two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä dropped from second to fifth on Saturday afternoon due to rear suspension damage. His bad luck continued on Sunday when he was forced to retire due to electrical problems, now 57 points behind Evans in the fight for the title.
Takamoto Katsuta was on his way to fourth place after overcoming multiple punctures and heat exhaustion, but a rollover on the Wolf Power Stage caused damage that prevented him from finishing, promoting team-mate Sami Pajari. Grégoire Munster overcame gearbox problems to finish fifth in his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1.
Gus Greensmith won the WRC2 category, finishing more than three minutes ahead of Jan Solans, who overturned on special 18. Gentleman driver Jourdan Serderidis was eighth overall with another Puma, while Paraguayan Fabrizio Zaldivar rounded off the WRC2 podium in ninth, with Josh McErlean completing the top 10.
Now comes a whole new challenge: the WRC heads to the Rally of the Canary Islands. The asphalt event, based in Gran Canaria, takes place from 24 to 27 April.
Final classification:
1. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris 4h 20m 3.8s
2. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +1m 9.9s
3. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +3m 32.0s
4. S Pajari / M Salminen FIN Toyota GR Yaris +7m 18.7s
5. G Munster / L Louka LUX Ford Puma +11m 35.3s
6. G Greensmith / J Andersson SWE Škoda Fabia +14m 11.6s
Drivers' Championship (after the third of 14 races):
1. E Evans 88pts
2. T Neuville 52pts
3. O Tänak 49pts
Brands Championship (after the third of 14 races):
1. Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT 148pts
2. Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 122pts
3. M-Sport Ford WRT 47pts