Kalle Rovanpera wins spectacular Safari Rally Kenya

Kalle Rovanpera of Toyota Gazoo Racing emerged as the champion of the WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2024.

Rovanpera clinched his second Safari Rally Kenya title on Sunday, commanding a decisive triumph leading a Toyota Gazoo Racing 1-2 finish.

He comfortably outpaced his GR Yaris teammate Takamoto Katsuta, with Adrien Fourmaux of M-Sport Ford securing the final spot on the podium.

Rovanpera secured victory with a substantial margin of 1 minute and 37.8 seconds, maintaining his lead since Friday morning. This marked his 12th career triumph.

“It’s always special to win here. Like they say in Africa: the car in front is always a Toyota,” remarked Rovanpera.

His lead extended to nearly one minute after dominating all of Friday’s challenging stages around Lake Naivasha.

Although Thierry Neuville initially posed a threat, his Hyundai i20 N encountered a fuel system issue during the afternoon’s first stage at Soysambu, thwarting his challenge and allowing Katsuta to seize the runner-up position ahead of Fourmaux.

The drivers navigated through Malewa, Oserengoni, and Hell’s Gate stages on Sunday afternoon as the Safari Rally concluded in Naivasha.

The WRC will transition to asphalt for the upcoming Croatia Rally scheduled from April 18th to 21st, based in the capital city of Zagreb.