Neuville holds onto lead as Safari Rally takes toll
Belgium driver Thierry Neuville steers his Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC with Belgium co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe during the SS2 stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya near Kedong at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, on June 25, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Spaniard Dani Sordo also went out after going on safari onto the bush and spinning his Hyundai into the undergrowth.
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Thierry Neuville grabbed the Safari Rally lead on Friday morning as the tough, tight course turned the race into a battle for survival.
Neuville won the first two of the three morning stages to take the lead from Sebastian Ogier, who had won the opener the night before.
Kenya's Onkar Rai, navigated by Drew Sturrock, was lying ninth after the morning stage, over seven minutes behind Neuville.
Kenya's driver Onkar Rai steers his Volkswagen Polo WRC with his co-driver Drew Sturrock during the Oserian stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya on June 25, 2021.
The unforgiving route through the Kenyan bush took its toll.
Kenyan driver Tejveer Rai crashed out of WRC Safari Rally Kenya after his R5 VW Polo nose-dived on Friday morning’s Kedong (SS3) stage.
Tej, as he is fondly known as, exited the event on the initial Kedong run before he was airlifted to Nairobi for treatment.
Tej is the current leader of the Kenya National Rally Championship ahead of his teammate Baldev Chager and younger sibling Onkar Rai.
"The only target was to not damage the car," Neuville said winning the second stage. "It's already very demanding. "
"Incredibly rough. Very deep ruts - I was close to rolling the car a couple of times in the ruts," he said. "As we can see, we need to survive."
British driver Gus Greensmith drives his Ford Fiesta WRC with Irish co-driver Chris Patterson during the SS2 stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya near Kedong at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, on June 25, 2021.
The Belgian finished the last stage of the morning with two slow punctures on his Hyundai but was still second fastest.
Kalle Rovanpera won the closer in his Toyota Yaris to move to 5.1 seconds off the lead and expressed relief rather than elation.
Finnish driver Kalle Rovanpera steers his Toyota Yaris WRC with Finnish co-driver Jonne Halttunen during the SS2 stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya near Kedong at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, on June 25, 2021.
"That's a big surprise," said the Finn. "It felt really bad for me."
The morning also introduced the drivers to the fine, black 'fesh-fesh' sand.
"The condition is so bad and there are big ruts all the time," said Rovanpera after the day's second stage. "At the end of the stage, I had a puncture, and there was so much dust in the car I couldn't breathe. It's Safari for sure."
Ott Tanak nursed his damaged Hyundai to fifth on the final stage of the morning. He trails Neuville by 26.2sec.
"Believe me, this is the least of the worries," the Estonian said of the time gap.
Ogier was slowed by the failure of his Toyota's left rear shock absorber but completed the morning stages ahead of the mid-day service.
French driver Sebastien Ogier steers his Toyota Yaris WRC with French co-driver Julien Ingrassia during the SS3 stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya near Kedong at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, on June 25, 2021.
World Rally Championship champion Sebastian Ogier, navigated by Julien Ingrassia, steers his Toyota Yaris WRC during the Oserian stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya on June 25, 2021.
"Broken suspension on the rear. I just had to make it through very slow," said the seven-time French world champion who was in seventh more than 2 minutes behind Neuville.
Elfyn Evans, who started the race second in the driver standings, was the most high profile of the casualties.
British driver Elfyn Evans powers his Toyota Yaris WRC with British co-driver Scott Martin during the SS2 stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya near Kedong at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, on June 25, 2021.
He smashed the suspension on his Toyota Yaris and came to a halt with his front right wheel hanging off.
"There was a stone that was sticking out more into the road than I had anticipated," the Welshman said.
"We clipped it with the front right wheel, and it was enough to break the suspension quite badly. There is no way to repair it or continue from here."
Spaniard Dani Sordo also went out after going on safari onto the bush and spinning his Hyundai into the undergrowth.
Kenyan driver Carl "Flash" Tundo, navigated by Timothy Jessop, steer their Volkswagen Polo WRC during the Oserian stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya on June 25, 2021.
Swedish driver Oliver Solberg steers his Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC with Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston during the SS2 stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya near Kedong at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, on June 25, 2021.
