WRC Preview: Safari Rally Kenya
- Olivia Kairu
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Written by Olivia Kairu, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Round three of the World Rally Championship (WRC) takes centre stage under the rainy East African skies in Naivasha, Kenya, for the Safari Rally. Kenya brings arguably the toughest instalment of the racing series, with drivers set to shift gears from the wintry snowbanks of the previous Rally Sweden, onto the rigorous terrain of the Kenyan Savannah.
Let’s explore what lies ahead.
Featuring 20 special stages covering approximately 330 km over four days, the revamped 2026 Safari Rally calls for flat-out effort from the race start.
A combination of rocky, muddy, slippery, and dusty roads creates the unique challenge these drivers endeavour to embark on, making this the ultimate off-road fixture within the WRC calendar. For the first time, the rally will take place entirely outside of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in accordance with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) regulations that mandate a centralised service park format.
Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Elfyn Evans, along with his co-driver Scott Martin, heads into the action-packed weekend at the top of the drivers’ standings, chasing a hat-trick after winning both Rallye Monte Carlo and Rally Sweden events. Nine-time World Champion and fellow teammate, Sébastien Ogier, will rev his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid in his second appearance of the 2026 season, chasing a third victory.
“I'm eager to return to this magnificent country and experience the enthusiasm of the African fans again,” he said while speaking in an interview ahead of the weekend.
When asked about his expectations for the rally this year, he spoke of tumultuous conditions that would add to the difficulty of an already vigorous terrain. “This will be the first time I've been there so early in the year, and it looks like the weather will be wetter than I've experienced in the past.”
Hyundai head into this weekend’s Rally Kenya determined to fight back, after being unable to respond in Rally Sweden. The Korean manufacturer managed only fifth, sixth, and seventh, while Toyota locked out the first four places.
Andrew Wheatley, Hyundai Sporting Director, spoke of his hopes ahead of the Safari Rally Kenya:“To achieve a good result in Kenya, we have to expect the unexpected and be prepared for all possible changes in conditions. We know that the Safari Rally Kenya can throw surprises at any competitor, and the winner will be the crew that best handles them.
“We have drivers with good experience of the conditions in Kenya; we know what it takes to be fast, but we have to put everything together to beat our competitors—and that’s much easier said than done.”
So, what can you expect this weekend?
The rally will begin with the Shakedown on Thursday, 12th March, on a brand-new stage encompassing a variety of road surfaces, from bumpy and sandy to rough and rocky. Across the weekend, drivers will battle dynamic topography to ensure as smooth a run as possible on the rain-covered, muddy roads before the malleable ground sets in to give way to rugged roads, testing the Hankook extreme all-weather DynaPro rally tyre.
Friday, 13th March will have drivers race through Stage 1 Camp Moran, leaping through the air through two loops of Kedong, into the final stage of the day at Mzabibu.
Saturday will start with stage 11 Soysambu, which saw M-Sport Ford World Rally Team driver, Grégoire Munster, break the suspension of his Puma Rally1 in 2024, all through to complete the day with a second run at Sleeping Warrior. Finally, Sunday is set to have drivers run nearly 60km alternating between the Oserengoni and Hell’s Gate stages to take the chequered flag at the Power Stage.
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