After further problems for his Toyota teammates, Elfyn Evans leads the Safari Rally by a comfortable margin ahead of the final day
Elfyn Evans (Toyota) is heading for a clear victory at the Safari Rally in Kenya, the third round of the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC), ahead of the final day. Although the Welshman, like many of his rivals, did not get through Saturday afternoon without problems in very difficult conditions, he now has a comfortable lead in the overall standings ahead of the last five stages on Sunday.
Evans leads by 1:57.4 minutes from Ott Tänak (Hyundai) and can drive in control on the final day to secure victory. With a victory in Kenya, Evans could further extend his already comfortable lead in the World Championship after three of the season’s 14 races.
Thierry Neuville (Hyundai, +4:33.4 minutes) is in third place. The three Toyota drivers Takamoto Katsuta, Kalle Rovanperä and Sami Pajari, as well as Gregoire Munster (Ford), follow at a considerable distance.
The attritional battle at the Safari Rally continued on Saturday afternoon. After midday rains, some of the stages were under water, with drivers repeatedly struggling with aquaplaning. Evans also had to survive a few tricky moments and a spin, losing 53 seconds to Tänak on the last stage of the day, but still retained a significant lead.
Roadside Repairs ️ WRC SafariRallyKenya pic. twitter.com/0KJEkPswyf
— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) March 22, 2025
For Rovanperä, who was still in second place at lunchtime, the problems continued in the afternoon. On the 14th stage, the Finn damaged the right rear suspension and subsequently lost a lot of time. After a makeshift repair, Rovanperä was able to finish the day, but dropped out of the top three
Katsuta was also affected by the tough conditions and lost several positions due to two punctures. As a result, he fell behind the two Hyundai drivers Tänak and Neuville. On Saturday afternoon, the Belgian, who is struggling with health issues, also had to deal with a fogged windshield.
The fight for victory in the WRC 2 class at the Safari Rally remains exciting. On Saturday afternoon, Gus Greensmith (Skoda) took the lead again. However, on the final day, he is only 5.8 seconds ahead of Jan Solans (Toyota).
On Sunday, the Safari Rally will conclude with five stages covering a total distance of 65.99 kilometers.
