Long‑Awaited First Win for Taka: Katsuta Conquers the Safari Rally Kenya

The Safari Rally Kenya, third round of the WRC, once again lived up to its reputation as the toughest event of the season.

Thursday

The action officially began with a 6.31 km shakedown, where Thierry Neuville topped the times on his third run with 4:33.1, followed by Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari.

But the rally’s first competitive stage immediately set the tone for the weekend. Heavy rain turned SS1 into a mud‑soaked nightmare, Solberg even described it as the worst stage of his life. SS2 was drier but still a deep‑mud challenge.

Several drivers battled overheating engines as mud clogged their air filters, including Neuville, Fourmaux, Lappi, Armstrong

Despite the chaos, Toyota dominated Day 1, locking out the entire top five:

1. 1. Solberg – 30:18.6
2. 2. Evans – +33.3
3. 3. Ogier – +1:05.1
4. 4. Katsuta – +1:15.3
5. 5. Pajari – +2:06.4

Friday

Friday was the calm before the storm. It featured eight stages: Loldia (run twice), Kengen Geothermal (run twice), Kedong (run twice), Mzabibu and the planned Camp Moran, which was cancelled after Thursday’s rain left the road unusable.

Compared to the chaos of Day 1, Friday ran relatively smoothly. There were still several punctures to contend with, affecting Pajari and Neuville in SS5, Ogier in SS6, McErlean and Katsuta in SS7, and Armstrong and Solberg in SS8, while water‑temperature warnings hit McErlean in SS4, Neuville in SS9 and Armstrong in SS9 had to stop at 5.1 km with a broken rear‑right driveshaft and compression strut. Despite the scattered issues, the were no huge changes to the top of the leaderboard.

Friday standings

1. 1. Solberg – 1:33:50.2
2. 2. Ogier – +1.0
3. 3. Evans – +20.5

Saturday

Saturday delivered the chaos the Safari Rally is famous for, with a loop through Soysambu, Elmenteita and Sleeping Warrior, although the second run of Sleeping Warrior was cancelled after torrential rain made it impassable.

SS12 immediately sparked frustration among the crews, as changes made after recce were communicated only through a video, and the sticks marking the route disappeared almost instantly, exposing sharp rocks that turned the stage into a minefield. Solberg, Evans, Pajari, Lappi and Armstrong all suffered punctures or tyres coming off the rim.

SS13 brought a major blow for Toyota when Evans retired for the day with a broken rear‑right suspension.

Then came SS14, the most brutal stage of the weekend, claiming multiple victims: Neuville changed two punctures before suffering a third with no spares left; Ogier retired with alternator failure; Solberg stopped with transmission and alternator issues; Armstrong endured a puncture, a water‑pressure alert and a 20‑minute stop before facing another puncture and water‑temperature problems in SS15; and McErlean retired completely with engine damage.

By the end of the day, the rally had been turned upside down.

Saturday standings

1. 1. Katsuta – 2:41:00.2
2. 2. Fourmaux – +1:25.5
3. 3. Pajari – +5:29.1

Sunday

The final day featured two passes through Oserengoni and Hell’s Gate. Fourmaux applied pressure, but Katsuta drove with calmness and precision, refusing to crack under the weight of a potential first WRC victory.

After years of near‑misses, heartbreaks and relentless effort, Taka finally claimed his first WRC win, and did it on the toughest rally of them all.

Final results

1. 1. Katsuta – 3:16:05.6
2. 2. Fourmaux – +27.4
3. 3. Pajari – +4:26.1

Power Stage & Super Sunday Results

1. 1. Solberg
2. 2. Ogier
3. 3. Evans
4. 4. Neuville
5. 5. Fourmaux