Former World Rally Champion Ott Tänak kicked off the 2025 WRC Safari Rally in dominant fashion, finishing the opening day on top of the standings.
The much-anticipated event, which returned to its traditional Easter calendar, was officially flagged off by President William Ruto at City Hall in Nairobi.
Known as the toughest rally in the championship, drivers had to make key modifications to their cars, including reinforced suspension for the rough terrain and snorkels for deep water crossings.
After the ceremonial start, drivers headed to the super special stage at Kasarani, where fans got a close-up view of the thrilling side-by-side races on soft gravel.
Welshman Elfyn Evans, leading the drivers’ standings, set the early pace in his Toyota as the rally moved to Naivasha for the newly introduced Mzabibu stage, stretching 8.15 km.
However, Tänak stole the show, jumping from fourth place to take the lead in his older-spec Hyundai i20, which proved well-suited for the Safari’s rugged conditions.
Speaking after the stage, the Estonian downplayed his early lead, acknowledging that Friday’s first stage, Camp Moran, would be the real test.
“For me, everything went well today. But tomorrow will be quite telling. The first stage is very tricky, long, and demanding. It’s going to be a big challenge,” Tänak said in an interview with WRC.
Three-time Safari Rally podium finisher Takamoto Katsuta overcame a tough corner in his Toyota to finish second, just 2.4 seconds behind Tänak.
M-Sport Ford Puma driver Grégoire Munster secured the third spot on the opening day, while Toyota teammates Kalle Rovanperä and Evans rounded out the top five.
In the Rally2 category, Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz, unbeaten in the Safari Rally with three wins in three attempts, continued his strong form, finishing ninth overall.
Fellow Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 driver Oliver Solberg followed closely, completing the top ten.
Local Drivers Off to Strong Start
Kenyan rally star Karan Patel, a two-time African Rally Champion, had a solid start in his Skoda Fabia Rally2, finishing 16th overall and seventh in the Rally2 class.
Patel remained cautious ahead of Friday’s challenge, emphasizing that his main focus was competing against fellow African Rally Championship contenders.
“The car is performing well so far. Since we don’t have a service stop tonight, we have to be careful heading into tomorrow. That’s where the real challenge begins,” Patel said.
Jeremiah Wahome emerged as the second-fastest local driver, finishing 18th overall. Veteran driver Carl “Flash” Tundo and Samman Vohra completed the top 20, while Hamza Anwar secured a spot among the top five Kenyan drivers.
With tougher stages ahead, drivers are bracing for the unpredictable conditions that make the Safari Rally one of the most grueling events in the WRC calendar.
