Toyota on the verge of clean WRC Safari Rally sweep
Fans parade to have a view of the WRC Safari Rally at the Soy Sambu spectator area during day-three of the championship on June 24, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The Safari is headed to the closest finish with victory going to either Sebastien Ogier or Kalle Rovanpera later this afternoon
- Ogier has clocked three hours, 12 minutes 55.7 seconds and Rovanpera is exactly 13 seconds behind
- World champion Rovanpera is giving it all, and if he has anything left in the reserve then he can only do it through the second final loop of the 2023 Safari Rally - Loldia and Hell's Gate Power Stage
A Toyota clean sweep in the Safari is imminent barring any serious incidents.
The Safari is headed to the closest finish with victory going to either Sebastien Ogier or Kalle Rovanpera later this afternoon.
The pair are split by 13 seconds with two stages remaining, Loldia and Hell's Gate 2 Power Stage.
Ogier has clocked three hours, 12 minutes 55.7 seconds and Rovanpera is exactly 13 seconds behind.
There is anxiety in both camps but Toyota Gazoo Racing Team management is warming up to a 1-2-3-4 repeat finish of last year.
World champion Rovanpera is giving it all, and if he has anything left in the reserve then he can only do it through the second final loop of the 2023 Safari Rally - Loldia and Hell's Gate Power Stage in front of a huge crowd which started gathering from 4:00am for the grand finale of the toughest rally in three years.
Ogier held on to his 16 seconds overnight lead when the cars resumed action this morning under grey sunless skies which he built to 17.2secs.
Rovanpera hit back and gave it all through the demanding Oserian section which levelled on the road section before drivers climbed to a nearby hill in the twisty Loldia stage, then ascended to the Geothermal wells for the Hell's Gate test of hilly sections at the start followed by sweeping corners but could only manage to nip only 4secs.
Barring any serious incidents, any of the two will win the Safari as the third best driver Elfyn Evans is two minutes 59.6 seconds behind in another Toyota Yaris GR. He is followed by teammate Katsuta Takamoto in 3:32.6.
Kenyans Carl Tundo and Tim Jessop are firmly in 12th position in a Skoda Fabia and fourth Rally 2 class which is being led by Kajetan Kajetanowicz in a Skoda Fabia followed by Oliver Solberg in another Skoda Fabia borrowed from Daniel Chwist and Martin Propkop in Ford Fiesta.
McRae Kimathi has worked his way back to second position in the Rally 3 class driving a Ford Fiesta and 23rd overall at Hells Gate 2.
The group is being led by Diego Dominguez in a Ford Fiesta Rally 3 as at the end of the morning pass through Oserian, Loldia and Hells Gate.
