Tänak Takes Charge as Safari Rally Kenya 2025 Kicks Off in Wild Style
By Mwambazi Lawrence
Estonian speed demon Ott Tänak wasted no time flexing his rally muscles as the WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2025 finally blasted into action in the bustling capital, Nairobi. The 2019 World Rally Champion put the hammer down early, reaching the Naivasha service park with a 2.4-second lead over Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta, who clocked 9:54.7 after the first two stages: the Kasarani Super Special Stage (4.76km) and the 8.15km Mzabibu test in Naivasha. And yes, in true Safari Rally style, dust, drama, and questionable navigation were already in full swing!
M-Sport Ford’s Grégoire Munster and his co-driver Louis Louka squeezed into third place, trailing the leader by 2.6 seconds just 0.2 seconds ahead of Katsuta. But let’s be honest, in Safari Rally terms, that gap is about the width of a rhino’s left nostril. And considering how unpredictable this rally is, by the next stage, that nostril could either expand into a full-blown crater or shrink tighter than a mosquito’s handshake.
Current championship leader Elfyn Evans had the audacity to set the early pace at Kasarani, edging out reigning champion Thierry Neuville by 1.5 seconds. But just as Evans was starting to feel like the king of the jungle, Tänak switched to “Beast Mode” at Mzabibu, launching his Hyundai i20 Rally1 through the stage like a man who just heard his flight was boarding… at a terminal 10 kilometers away.“The day was all good. Very happy to be leading after the first day. Short stages today, but the second (Mzabibu) was quite demanding, with some wet grass in places. Tomorrow will be a completely different ball game as we take on the real Safari,”said Tänak, presumably while dusting off the Naivasha souvenir mud from his boots.
But not everyone had a roaring start. Poor Adrien Fourmaux had a day to forget, retiring before the second speed test at Mzabibu due to electrical issues because apparently, even high-performance rally cars struggle with wiring problems like the rest of us mortals. One minute, he was revving up for a thrilling Safari Rally adventure; the next, he was experiencing the motorsport version of a dead phone battery at 1% with no charger in sight. Somewhere in the service park, a mechanic was probably scratching his head, muttering, “Did we try turning it off and on again?” Tough luck, Adrien may your next rally be free of gremlins.
Toyota’s Evans, who ended up fifth fastest, wasn’t too thrilled with Mzabibu either: “We had quite an okay run on the SSS, but the next stage was a bit tricky because the grass was quite slippery in places. We know that when it rains here in Kenya, it tends to pour. Let’s see what challenge tomorrow brings.”
Spoken like a man who may have Googled “Naivasha weather patterns” a little too late. One minute, you’re cruising on a dry track, and the next, you’re aquaplaning like a safari jeep in a flash flood. Evans’ cautious tone suggests he’s fully aware that in the Safari Rally, the only forecast that truly matters is expect the unexpected whether that means torrential rain, rogue zebras, or antelopes casually cutting across the stage tomorrow might just be Mother Nature’s turn to set the pace!
Kalle Rovanperä finished fourth, keeping his cool like the reigning champion he is. “The real Safari starts tomorrow. Today was great, though a bit of a shakedown to check that everything is working well. The spectators made the SSS even more exciting with their large numbers and passionate cheering.” And by “passionate cheering,” we assume he means people screaming, waving flags, and possibly chasing rally cars on foot for the perfect selfie.
Meanwhile, in Rally 2, Polish rally king Kajetan Kajetanowicz who has won the last three Safari Rallies in his category was sitting ninth overall. His Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 was trailed by Oliver Solberg in tenth, while Kenya’s Karan Patel, gunning for African Rally Championship (ARC) glory, ended the day in 16th overall. “The car is behaving well. We don’t have service tonight, so we’re taking care of it like a good relationship,” joked Patel. Whether he was referring to his car or sneakily dropping relationship advice remains a mystery.
Local stars weren’t to be left out either. Jeremiah Wahome secured second place among the Kenyan drivers and 18th overall, while Carl “Flash” Tundo who drives like he’s permanently being chased by a lion completed the top 20. Hamza Anwar stormed into the top five among local drivers, proving that Kenyan rally drivers aren’t just here to spectate.
Uganda’s Yassin Nasser, cruising in 25th place, seemed to be treating the rally like a scenic game drive. “Taking it easy,” his team reported, though some suspect he was secretly hoping to spot a zebra or two before getting serious in Friday’s grueling longer stages.
The action resumes bright and early at 07:13 am EAT on Friday with Camp Moran, a monstrous 31.4km stage that promises narrow technical sections, dips, jumps, and rocky outcrops. If Thursday was just the warm-up, then tomorrow, we’re officially entering “Survival Mode.” Stay tuned for more dust, drama, and moments of pure rally madness!
DAY ONE RESULTS
Ott Tänak – Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) – 9:52.3
Takamoto Katsuta – Johnston A. (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 9:54.7 (+2.4s)
Grégoire Munster – Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) – 9:54.9 (+2.6s)
Kalle Rovanperä – Halttunen J. (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 9:55.3
Elfyn Evans – Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 9:56.8
Josh McErlean – Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) – 10:01.1
Sami Pajari – Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 10:02.1
Thierry Neuville – Wydaeghe M. (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) – 10:12.0
Oliver Solberg – Edmondson E. (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) – 10:16.3
Gus Greensmith – Andersson J. (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) – 10:25.4
F. Zaldivar – Der Ohannesian M. (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) – 10:27.3
J. Serderidis – Miclotte F. (Ford Puma Rally1) – 10:40.0
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