Solberg Takes Early Lead as Toyota Dominates Opening Stages of 2026 Safari Rally Kenya

By Mwambazi Lawrence

The 2026 edition of the legendary Safari Rally Kenya burst into life this morning in Naivasha, and true to tradition, the African classic wasted absolutely no time reminding drivers that this rally does not play friendly games. With muddy roads, hidden rocks, and water splashes that looked more like small swimming pools, the opening two stages  Camp Moran and Mzabibu  served up the usual Safari-style chaos as Toyota Gazoo Racing stamped early authority on the demanding gravel.

Championship leaders Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin were the first to experience the brutal conditions as road sweepers. Being first on the road in Safari Rally is a bit like volunteering to clean the house before a party except the house is 24 kilometers of mud and rocks and the broom is a rally car. Evans, who sits first overall in the championship, summed it up perfectly after surviving the slippery madness.“The conditions were exceptionally bad in there. Not able to see half the time. The second stage was a bit more straightforward, better grip and more consistent, but it was a tough start to the rally. Tomorrow we go back to Camp Moran and it will be no exception.” In simple rally language, that statement loosely translates to: “Please pack extra courage and maybe a boat.”

But it was Oliver Solberg and Elliot Edmondson who quite literally tasted the Safari mud. During the stage, water splashes punched through the car vents and invaded the cockpit like uninvited guests at a village wedding. Despite the unexpected shower, Solberg stunned rivals by blasting into the rally lead with a combined time of 30:18.8, leaving teammate Evans staring at the stopwatch more than 30 seconds behind.

Solberg was simply flying through the rain-soaked 24.35 km Camp Moran stage, dancing his Toyota through mud and water crossings like a man who either had supreme confidence or had simply forgotten to check how slippery the road actually was. Starting second on the road didn’t slow him down one bit as he posted 22:56.2, the only driver who looked brave or slightly crazy enough to properly attack the stage.

“It was really wet and slippery, but I’m happy the time was good,” Solberg said calmly afterwards, sounding like a man who had just survived a rally stage that looked suspiciously like a hippo bathing area. “Tomorrow we start again with Camp Moran. It definitely should not dry much overnight. It’s going to be another big challenge. Hopefully it will be more dry during the day.” Though as we all know it that in  Safari Rally language, “hopefully dry” usually means only half the mud instead of the full bucket.

Nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier slotted into third place, 1:05.1 behind Solberg, driving with the patience of a man who has seen enough Safari Rally drama to know that the event often punishes anyone who tries to be a hero too early. Experience in Safari Rally is priceless mainly because it teaches drivers that sometimes the fastest strategy is simply surviving..

If the swamp-like conditions of Camp Moran weren’t difficult enough, the day turned into a baptism of fire for Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston thanks to a faulty intercom. “Before the start we just lost the connection with Aaron,” Katsuta explained. “We raced the whole way through without pacenotes.”

In rally terms, that is basically like trying to read a book with the lights switched off while someone shakes the table. Remarkably, despite the communication blackout, Katsuta still managed fourth fastest, thanks largely to the huge time gaps behind as Toyota drivers dominated the leaderboard.

Young Finnish driver Sami Pajari completed a dominant Toyota top five, sitting 2:06.4 behind Solberg and showing resilience despite the brutal opening stages.

While Toyota celebrated early success, the crews from Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team endured a far tougher afternoon. Thierry Neuville, who had been quickest during shakedown, quickly discovered that practice speed means very little once the Safari mud takes control.“We needed a boat or tank or I don’t know what but something else than a rally car,” Neuville joked after battling through the swampy conditions. And he was not alone. Mud-clogged radiators from the opening stage caused overheating issues for several crews. Neuville dropped 2:13.3, while teammates Adrien Fourmaux and Esapekka Lappi lost 2:17.4 and 2:40.8respectively. Fourmaux had shown promising opening splits but was forced to limp through the stage Safari Rally’s polite way of saying: “Welcome to Africa.”

Elsewhere, Jon Armstrong impressed by finishing just 4.8 seconds behind Fourmaux, while fellow Irishman Josh McErlean struggled with the conditions and overheating issues in the Rally1 Puma, already sitting over one minute thirty seconds behind Armstrong.

Meanwhile, Uganda’s flag bearers are fighting their own battle against the brutal Kenyan terrain. Yasin Nasser and Ali Katumba currently sit 21st overall and 4th in the ARC category, 17 minutes and 55 seconds behind rally leader Solberg after the opening two stages. Oscar Ntambi, navigated by Asuman Mohammad, lies 26th overall, roughly 20 minutes off the pace.

However, the Safari Rally showed no mercy for Duncan Mubiru and Joseph Kamya, who became early victims of the infamous Camp Moran mud after getting stuck and being forced to retire from the day’s action. The crew remains hopeful of restarting tomorrow under rally regulations. Meanwhile, another Ugandan crew led by Timothy Gawaya was nowhere to be seen during today’s stages, adding a little mystery to the Safari story.

Top 10 After Opening Stages

1 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) 30m18.6s
2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +33.3s
3 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +1m05.1s
4 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +1m15.3s
5 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1) +2m06.4s
6 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2m21.9s
7 Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne (Ford Puma Rally1) +2m32.2s
8 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2m38.1s
9 Esapekka Lappi/Enni Mälkönen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2m52.9s
10 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +3m42.5s

With Toyota locking out the early top positions, the opening day has set the tone for what promises to be another wild, muddy and unpredictable Safari Rally. If the first stages are anything to go by, the rally has already begun its usual game  testing drivers, frightening mechanics, confusing co-drivers, and entertaining fans who know that in the Safari Rally, anything that can go wrong… usually does.

About The Author