France's Sebastien Ogier and co-driver France's Vincent Landais steer their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid during the WRC Safari Rally in Kenya on June 23, 2023.
Defending champion Elfyn Evans from Britain, and reigning world champion Sebastian Ogier from France, headline a star-studded Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (WRT) for this year’s World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally.
Current championship leader Evans is fresh from winning Rally Sweden over Valentine’s Day weekend, and Ogier, the 2021 and 2023 WRC Safari Rally champion, returns to the WRC’s toughest rally, aiming to hand the Japanese constructors team yet another victory.
Swede Oliver Solberg, who won the opening leg of the 2026 WRC event, the Rallye Monte Carlo, in January, two-time Safari Rally podium finisher Takamoto Katsuta, and rising Finnish star Sami Pajari round off the imposing Gazoo Racing WRT cast.
It has been a thrilling piece of action from both Evans and Solberg, who are at the top of this season’s standings with 60 and 47 points respectively.
Sebastien Ogier navigated by Vincent Landais racing on a Toyota Yaris GR in action at Soysambu Stage during the World Rally Championships Safari Rally Kenya on June 24, 2023.
Solberg, co-driven by Elliott Edmondson, cruised to victory in Monte Carlo, beating Evans, navigated by Scott Martins, to second place, but while the Briton secured a top podium finish in Sweden, Solberg settled for fourth place.
The victory for Evans at the icy Swedish terrains was a significant milestone for Toyota as it became the first manufacturer since Citroën in 2010 to claim back-to-back podium lockouts in the WRC.
Evans has had a good run at the World Rally Championship Safari Rally, securing three podium finishes out of five entries. He finished 10th in 2021, came second in 2022, and wound up in third place in 2023.
The 37-year-old came fourth in 2024 before corking the victorious champagne last year.
Solberg is yet to secure a podium finish at Safari Rally, and his best placing has been seventh in 2024, having retired in 2011 when the Safari Rally returned to the WRC fold.
Ogier is making his first return to Safari Rally since sealing a double in 2023.
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (WRT) have won every edition of Africa’s round of the WRC since it returned to the global calendar in 2021.
Nairobi will not share in the action at this year’s WRC Safari Rally as all the action will be concentrated in Naivasha, Nakuru County, from March 12 to 15. It will be the third leg of the 2026 WRC.
French driver Sebastien Ogier speaks during a press conference on the eve of the start of the 90th World Rally Championship Monte-Carlo Rally, on January 19, 2022, in Monaco.
South Korea’s Hyundai Racing WRT has also brought out its best as it chases an elusive first Safari Rally title, having been the only team to stop a complete Toyota podium sweep since 2021.
Belgium’s Thierry Neuville, who is the 2024 world champion, leads the team as he bids to end his string of bad luck in the Safari Rally. He retired in 2021, finished fifth the following year, got disqualified in 2023, and secured fifth place in 2024 before claiming third place in 2025.
Oliver Solberg of Hyundai during World Rally Championships Safari Rally on June 25, 2022 in Naivasha.
Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux, who joined Hyundai from American outfit Ford M-Sport Puma WRT, and Finnish ace Esapekka Lappi, will pilot the other Hyundai cars.
Irishmen Joshua McErlean and Jon Armstrong will lead the M-Sport Puma charge that has entered two cars to bring the WRT entries for the Safari Rally to 10 WRC Rally 1 machines.
Away from the main category, top local drivers have also made strong entries, with Carl Tundo, a five-time Safari Rally champion (during its WRC hiatus), topping the charts.
Two-time Africa Rally Champion Karan Patel, current junior ARC champion Samman Singh Vohra and last year’s WRC 3 winner Nikhil Sachania are other big Kenyan entries.
The ladies are also well represented, with local favourites, Tinashe Gatimu, returning with her mother, Caroline Gatimu, in a Ford Fiesta Rally4 car, which will score points towards ARC3.
Oliver Solberg navigated by Eliott Edmonson in a Skoda Fabia compete in the Kasarani Super special stage of the 2024 WRC Safari Rally on March 28, 2024.
Pauline Shegu and Linet Ayuko have also entered a Subaru car in the race, with Nairobi-based lady driver Lisa Cristoferssen also in the women’s mix that has debutant Queen Kalimpiya in a Subaru Impreza WRC STi.
Rwanda will field four crews in the Safari Rally, while Uganda has entered three crews - Duncan Mubiru in a Subaru Impreza WRX STi car, Oscar Ntambi in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X car, and Timohty Gawaya.
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