From Belgium with love: Neuville just can’t wait to race in Kenya...

Thierry Neuville has suffered several tribulations in his bid to tame the Safari Rally round of the World Rally Championship.

These including a painful, final day retirement in 2021 and a disqualification last year for going through the route well outside the designated recce window. But the Belgian has never shied away from expressing his love for Kenya.

Returning to the WRC Safari Rally, this time as the World Rally Championship (WRC) points leader on 48 points, three better than Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, Neuville can’t wait to return for a fourth crack at the Safari.

He is also keen to enjoy the wildlife and reconnect with newfound friends, like marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge whom he jogged with last year accompanied by former world rally champion Ott Tanak at Kipchoge’s Kaptagat training camp last year.

“Two weeks to go before the wildest and toughest event of the season!” exclaimed Neuville in a Facebook post at the weekend, expressing his feelings towards the Safari with memorable photos of the sights captured at last year’s rally.

Neuville will team up with Tanak of Estonia and Finland’s Esapekka Lappi, winner of WRC Rally Sweden last month, in the Hyundai assault.

“The Kenyan atmosphere is so special and I can’t wait to be there,” Neuville posted on his Facebook page, the comments illustrated by postcard images of the wildlife, Kenyan people and mud-splashed pictures of his Hyundai i20 Hybrid Rally1 from last year.

Neuville also has a very soft spot for the wild Kenya and is known to take a few days off after every rally to visit the national game parks. He is scheduled to visit the Mara ahead of the star of this year’s Safari Rally which runs from March 28 to 31.

The Belgian celebrated Wildlife Day with a special message which he tagged several wildlife sanctuaries and also posted images including those of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a wildlife protection orphanage at the Nairobi National Park which rescues and raises orphaned elephants and rhinos, he has very closes relationship with.

Neuville is also known to donate to many wildlife organisations in the world on his tours.

“Today is Wildlife Day on March 3. Wildlife is key to our planet and it’s so important to protect it! Hats off to all the associations fighting to defend and protect wildlife around the world,” he wrote.

“I’m met inspiring and dedicated people over the years doing relentless work to save animals and nature. We need to support them as much as we can to conserve the biodiversity of our beautiful planet,” he said in the background of images of workers at Sheldrick feeding orphaned elephants.