Juha Kankkunen, one of the most successful drivers in the history of the World Rally Championship Safari Rally, will touch down in Nairobi tomorrow morning.
After making a stopover at Toyota by CFAO’s Mombasa Road showroom in the company of reigning WRC Safari Rally champion Elfyn Evans and rising star Sami Pajari for an autograph session with fans, Kankkunen will head straight to Naivasha to assess the rally conditions.
The 66-year-old Kankkunen is in Kenya, not as race driver, but as the deputy team principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team.
He said his mission is clear: to help Toyota secure an unprecedented sixth consecutive WRC Safari Rally title as the sport prepares to bid farewell to the purpose‑built Rally 1 machines which will be replaced by less powerful variations from 2027 as a cost cutting measure by the WRC organisers
The Finnish legend has a personal connection to the event. He won his first Safari Rally in 1985 – at just 25 – behind the wheel of a Group B Toyota Celica Twin‑Cam Turbo, ecellling in one of the wettest rallies on record against veterans from Lancia, Nissan, Peugeot, Opel and Subaru.
He added two more victories in 1991 (Lancia Delta Integrale, Group A) and 1993 (Toyota Celica GT‑4), before his final Safari appearance in 2002 with a Hyundai Accent WRC3, finishing eighth.
He competed in 2005 East African Classic safari Rally in a Datsun 240 Z before retiring after his co-driver Juha Repo got sick.
“Each era brings a different car, but Kenya always keeps changing,” Kankkunen told Nation Sport yesterday on phone from his Finland base.
“This year we’re chasing after the sixth title. We’ve had a few rain showers before, but I hear the weather will be different this time. I’ll see what the ground looks like when I arrive on Sunday.”
1993 winners Juha Kankkunen (centre) and compatriot Juha Piironen share their happiness with Nation reporter Pamela Makotsi minutes after finishing the rally on April 12, 1993
Photo credit: File | Nation
He added that the team’s strategy will hinge on a solid game plan and the ever‑equalising effect of rain. “When the stages turn muddy, everything levels out. It will be fascinating to see how the cars behave, and I always feel good being back in Kenya,” he said.
To guard against water ingress, Toyota will fit snorkels on its Rally1 cars, a precaution that should prevent engine stalls in deep puddles.
The broader approach remains the same as in the last five years: work as a unified crew to clinch both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships.
Kankkunen is stepping in for Toyota team boss Jari‑Matti Latvala, following a fifth straight Safari triumph for the marque.
The victory – secured by Evans and co‑driver Scott Martin – marked the first win for a Briton since Colin McRae in 2002 and was Toyota’s 100th start in the WRC since its 2017 comeback.
“Even though the modern Safari is a fraction of the 5,000km marathon of 1985, the intensity is the same,” the Finn noted. “Things happen very quickly for drivers and managers alike.”
The Toyota lineup also includes Oliver Solberg, the fast‑rising Swede star who opened the 2023 season with a win in Monte Carlo, Sébastien Ogier, the 2023 Safari champion and Takamoto Katsuta, a fan favourite.
Their rivals, Shell Mobius Hyundai World Rally Team will field the i20 Rally1 cars driven by 2024 world champion Thierry Neuville, Adrien Fourmaux and Esapekka Lappi;
M‑Sport Ford have entered Joshua McErlean, Jos Armstrong and Romet Jurgenson in Ford Puma Rally1 machines.
All eyes will be on Naivasha from Monday as the teams fine‑tune their set-ups, test the snorkels, and brace for what could be the wettest Safari Rally since it returned to the WRC fold in 2018.
The rally promises a dramatic showdown between seasoned legends and hungry newcomers, all battling Kenya’s famously unpredictable weather and rugged terrain in the World, Africa and Kenya Championships categories.
On the national stage, 2024 Kenya champions Jasmeet Chana and his brother Ravi Chana have secured full‑package backing from Rubis Energy Kenya, Castrol, CRS and Identisys for their Ford Fiesta Rally2.
World champion Juha Kankkunen (left) is received by Kenyan driving ace Patrick Njiru at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi ahead of the Martini Safari Rally.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The Chanas are working closely with M‑Sport engineers to fine tune the car’s dynamics for the gruelling Safari terrain.
Meanwhile, Rajveer Thethy is eyeing his second Safari Rally with a clear objective: a podium finish in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) class.
After a fourth‑place finish last year, Thethy said he returns “stronger, wiser and more determined,” having completed every stage without a mechanical failure.
