Maxine Wahome on the wheel
She describes her rallying journey as short and sweet. True to fact, in just one year that she has been behind the wheel, Kenya’s newest rallying star Maxine Wahome has already achieved a lot.
In the 14 rallies the nursery school teacher has done, she has completed 10 and registered four retirements. That’s how good the 25-year-old female driver’s graph is.
The bike rider turned rally driver introduced herself to the world of rallying competition during the Safari Rally 2021, when Kenya was making a return to the world championship after 19 years.
It attracted 58 drivers drawn from Kenya, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Spain, Italy, Norway, Bolivia, Czech, Poland and Uganda. Navigated by Chantal Young in a Subaru Impreza STi N10, Maxine began rallying on a disappointing note after failing to finish the 18-stage 315.26 kilometres gravel held in Nakuru County (Naivasha) and Nairobi.
But it seems she learned fast. While teaming up with navigator Linet Ayuko, Maxine chalked up finishes in Voi, Machakos and Ramisi national rallies and then impressed on her international debut during the African Rally Championship (ARC) round of Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.
She placed sixth overall and second in the Africa Junior category in Rwanda behind compatriot McRae Kimathi.
Navigated by Safina Khan in a Datsun Violet 160J, Maxine finished 17th out of 32 drivers who started the East African Mini Classic Rally. Ayuko returned to do pace notes for Maxine during Thika Rally, where they came fifth before registering her second retirement in the last event of 2021: Guru Nanak Rally.
She began 2022 on a high after she topped the inaugural ladies-only Lioness Rally at Kasarani, teaming up with Safina Khan. With a new navigator, Murage Waigwa, Maxine impressed in sixth place at the ARC Equator Rally in Naivasha, where she came second in the ARC Junior category.
She registered a Did Not Finish at the ARC Pearl of Africa Rally in Uganda before shooting to fame with the historic WRC3 Open win in a Ford Fiesta R3 during the Safari Rally 2022.
Maxine had never driven a Rally3 car before, but stunned fellow FIA Rally Star drivers Jeremiah Wahome, McRae and Hamza Anwar. She completed the 359.93-kilometre race 17th out of 42 drivers, in five hours, 20 minutes and 21.6 seconds.
Jeremiah (5:45:49.0) and Kimathi (5:55:59.3) finished in position 21 and 32 respectively. Hamza retired with one stage to go. Maxine’s time was 20 seconds behind WRC driver Gus Greensmith. Her win was the first by a woman in a WRC3 event since Isolde Holderied’s Sanremo Rally in Group N division in 1994.
Maxine was greeted at the finish by President Uhuru Kenyatta who congratulated her: “You have proved that the world of motorsport is not (the world) of men but of humankind.” She was also thrilled by a congratulatory message from seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.
“I’m happy that he recognised me. It is an honour to be recognised by a world champion. I was truly honoured,” Maxine told the Pitchside.
Her family was elated to see her emerge top. She says even those outside the country phoned in to congratulate her. “My boyfriend was also extremely happy. He’s been teaching me everything I need to know about rallying,” added the 25-year-old.
Maxine’s win did not go unnoticed. One of her sponsors, Safaricom, rewarded her Sh1 million.
“Getting this reward for being the first Kenyan lady, and the first woman ever to win WRC3 is my highest moment. It’s a great achievement for me,” says Maxine, who is now doing 12 years in motorsports. She says coming from a motorsport family motivated her to take up the sport.
“Rallying runs in the family. My father Jimmy Wahome used to rally as did my cousins Tai Wahome, Wahome Mutahi, Hillary Mutahi, Ngugi Waweru and Thuku Waweru. We all do motocross together, go training together, so it’s in my blood. It’s a whole family affair,” she says.
“I’m happy that I have achieved many things so far. I’m hoping to achieve even more.”
For her, low moments do not exist in her rallying but learning experiences.
Maxine looks up to many drivers for inspiration, including Norwegian youngster Oliver Solberg, decorated nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb and current 2022 WRC leader Kalle Rovanpera.
Locally, she has been inspired by veteran drivers Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo - the 2021 African champion - and Baldev ‘Boldy’ Chager. “I like their consistency, which is what made them very successful,” says Maxine.
Her message to aspiring rally drivers is that she is reachable. “I respond to everybody who is interested in the sport. Wherever we meet in a mall, shop …just approach me, talk to me and then I will let you know how to join and we can even rally together and win.”
Career achievements
-Maxine Wahome started motorsports in 2011 by competing in motorbike competitions.
-She won lady rider of the year in Kenya in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
-She was voted the Motorsports personality of the year in 2014 at the Rose Bowl Awards.
- Nicknamed the riding queen, Maxine made her debut in rallying during the World Rally Championship (WRC) 2021 Safari Rally in Naivasha where she did not finish.
- She has done 14 races since Safari Rally 2021, including Safari Rally 2022 where she became the first woman to win a WRC3 event.
-Maxine is also the first female WRC support category winner since German Isolde Holderied triumphed in Group N division at the Sanremo Rally in Italy in 1994.
-She has competed in four African Rally Championship (ARC) rounds, finishing sixth at Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally 2021 and Equator Rally Kenya 2022 and retired at Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally and Tanzania Atlantic Rally 2022.
-She uses Subaru Impreza STi N10 for local rallies and M-Sport Poland’s Ford Fiesta Rally3 for international ones.
-Maxine is on the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Rally Stars Programme (a global initiative that seeks to identify, train and develop talented young drivers aged between 17-27 years) together with McRae Kimathi, Jeremiah Wahome and Hamza Anwar.
