33 drivers approved for Kenyan Safari Rally

Kalle Rovenpera

Maasai dancers cheer Finland's Kalle Rovenpera navigated by Jonne Halttunen in their Toyota Yaris upon winning the 2022 World Rally Championships Safari Rally on June 26, 2022 at Hell’s Gate in Naivasha.

Photo credit: File | Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Kenyan youngsters McRae Kimathi, Hamza Anwar and Jeremiah Wahome have been confirmed in WRC3 alongside Canadian Jason Bailey and Paraguayan Diego Dominguez. They will all drive the same make Ford Fiesta R3.
  • The National Championship category, which has so far attracted four drivers, is also open for more entries until June 14, organisers said.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has approved a final list of 33 drivers who will compete in the 2023 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally from June 22 to 25 in Nairobi and Naivasha which features 10 top-level Rally1 cars, 11 WRC2 runners plus a five-strong WRC3 line-up.

Twice champions Toyota Gazoo Racing will field four confirmed drivers led by the world champion Kalle Rovanperä and 2021 Safari Rally winner Sebastien Ogier driving Toyota GR Yaris models.

They will be joined by Briton Elfyn Evans and Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta, the Japanese star twice a podium finisher in Kenya.  

Hyundai Motorsport has entered a trio of i20 Ns for Esapekka Lappi, Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo, while Ott Tänak, Pierre-Louis Loubet and privateer Jourdan Serderidis will pilot M-Sport Ford Pumas.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz tops the WRC2 entry in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, while other entrants in the premier support category include Grégoire Munster (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and Karan Patel (Ford Fiesta R5).

Five times Safari Rally  champion Carl Tundo (Skoda Fabia), Ugandan Yasin Nasser, Piero Cannobio (Hyundai i20) and Samman Vohra (Ford Fiesta) have also entered this class.

Kenyan youngsters McRae Kimathi, Hamza Anwar and Jeremiah Wahome have been confirmed in WRC3 alongside Canadian Jason Bailey and Paraguayan Diego Dominguez. They will all drive the same make Ford Fiesta R3.

The National Championship category, which has so far attracted four drivers, is also open for more entries until June 14, organisers said.

Only four drivers have been registered to compete and score points in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) category.

They are Nikhil Sachania, Evans Nzioka Kavisi, Minesh Rathod and Burundi’s Italy-based Giancarlo Davite.