WRC 2021

6th round, Safari Rally Kenya
24-27 June

Second consecutive Toyota 1-2 and win for Ogier

Safari Rally Kenya, a legendary event, returned in the FIA WRC calendar after 19 years.
Frenchmen Sebastien Ogier-Julien Ingrassia claimed their 53rd career win, that was also their fourth in this years' championship, driving the Toyota Yaris WRC.
Takamoto Katsuta-Dan Barritt, in an identical Yaris, finished second, with the Japanese driver claiming his first podium finish, while Ott Tanak-Martin Jarveoja finished third overall.
Gus Greensmith and Chris Patterson finally finished 4th, which is the Britons' career best result, in a Ford Fiesta WRC. The Francobelgian crew of Adrien Fourmaux-Renaud Jamoul finished fifth, just 0,1 sec shy of their teammates. Fourmaux and Jamoul had initially finished in 4th place, but a 10 sec. penalty for deviating the stage route, cost them one place.
The Top-6 was completed by Kalle Rovanpera-Jonne Halttunen (Toyota Yaris WRC) who retired at the last stage of Day 1, after getting stuck in African sand called “fesh fesh” but came back in the following day.
Belgians Thierry Neuville-Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) were hit by bad luck, as they retired while leading after the first stage of the last day, with broken right rear damper.
Also, among retirements we might add Elfyn Evans-Scott Martin (Toyota Yaris WRC) with borken suspension, Dani Sordo-Borja Rozada (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) who went off after hitting a rock and Oliver Solberg-Aaron Johnston (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC), also with broken suspension that also caused damage to the roll cage.
The Brits of Toyota, who returned -as Sordo-Rozada did- via SupeRally rules, finished 10th.
WRC3 category was won by Rai Onkar-Drew Sturrock in a Volkswagen Polo R5.

Safari Rally Kenya
Stages: 18
Length: 320,19 km.
Classification – Top 10
1 S. Ogier-J. Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC
2 T. Katsuta-D. Barritt Toyota Yaris WRC +21.8
3 O. Tanak-M. Jarveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +1:09.5
4 G. Greensmith-C. Patterson Ford Fiesta WRC +1:54.6
5 A. Fourmaux-R. Jamoul Ford Fiesta WRC +1:54.7
6 K. Rovanpera-J. Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC +10:53.4
7 R. Onkar-D. Sturrock Volkswagen Polo R5 (1οι WRC3) +29:26.4
8 K. Patel-T. Khan Ford Fiesta Rally2 (2οι WRC3) +33:30.4
9 C. Tundo-T. Jessop Volkswagen Polo R5 (3οι WRC3) +36:40.7
10 E. Evans-S. Martin Toyota Yaris WRC +49:22.7
SS Winners: Ogier 6, Neuville 4, Rovanpera-Tanak 2, Katsuta-Sordo-Evans-Fourmaux 1
Rally leaders: 1 Ogier, 2-14 Neuville, 15 Katsuta, 16-18 Ogier

Rally leader/stage: 1-8 Neuville, 9-17 Ogier, 18-19 Evans, 20 Ogier