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Breaking: KDF: Engine failure downed chopper that killed Ogolla, not pilot error

Hyundai’s Tanak takes Safari Rally lead

Cruising Estonia’s Ott Tanak navigated by Martin Jarveoja in a Hyundai i20N in action  at the Kasarani Super Special Stage on March 20, 2025.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

By  Peter Njenga

Columnist

What you need to know:

  • Takamoto Katsuta in a Toyota Yaris GR went off the road briefly at Mzabibu but still posted the second fastest time only losing 1.1 seconds to Tanak 
  • Winner of the opening test, Elfyn Evans was only fifth fastest on the second to fall to the same position overall – lying 1.5s behind team-mate Kalle Rovanperä. Just 4.5s separates the top five, with Josh McErlean in a Ford Puma another 4.3s back in sixth place – a single second clear of Sami Pajari.

Hakuna matata could become the new buzz word for world’s top drivers who have vowed not to give live TV flash interviews in English and instead either remain mum or speak in their mother tongues in protest against a 10,000 Euros (Sh1.4 million) fine imposed on Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux for using the “F” word  in a TV interview in WRC Sweden last month.

Fourmaux, who was a joint fifth at the Kasarani Super Special Stage and but failed to do the Mzabibu 1 stage after his car suffered electronics malfunction had created the buzz after he responded with “hakuna matata” to a question posed by Rally TV on Thursday.

He will restart the rally on Friday with a 10 minutes penalty. Typical of its unforgiving and breathtaking unpredictability, the table leadership changed twice on Thursday with championship leader Elfyn Evans taking the 4km Kasarani SSS and the 2019 world champion Ott Tanak emerging victorious in the 8km Mzabibu Stage.

Related

Hyundai’s Tanak, who has a 2.6 seconds lead, will start first Friday morning at the 31km Camp Moran stage, the longest in the Safari. Drivers will then do the Loldia and Kengen Geothermal stages repeatedly for a total of 157km day long activity.

Takamoto Katsuta in a Toyota Yaris GR went off the road briefly at Mzabibu but still posted the second fastest time only losing 1.1 seconds to Tanak 

Winner of the opening test, Elfyn Evans was only fifth fastest on the second to fall to the same position overall – lying 1.5s behind team-mate Kalle Rovanperä. Just 4.5s separates the top five, with Josh McErlean in a Ford Puma another 4.3s back in sixth place – a single second clear of Sami Pajari.