Elfyn Evans extends lead as Safari Rally heads into final day
Elfyn Evans took a commanding lead in the 2025 Safari Rally after a dominant performance in Saturday’s stages in Naivasha. The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver capitalised on tricky conditions to build a comfortable gap over teammate Kalle Rovanperä, who struggled with punctures. With just five stages remaining on Sunday, Evans is closing in on his first-ever Safari Rally victory, but the unpredictable terrain means the battle is far from over.
Elfyn Evans tightened his grip on the 2025 World Rally Championship Safari Rally after a dominant performance in Saturday’s stages in Naivasha. The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver built a commanding lead of one minute and thirty-two seconds over teammate Kalle Rovanperä, positioning himself for his first-ever Safari Rally victory.
Evans was in control from the start of the day, winning back-to-back stages in Sleeping Warrior One (26.97km) and Elementeita One (17.31km). His masterful handling of the tricky conditions proved decisive.
“I was not expecting so much mud in the morning, and it was actually very late when you realise how bad it is,” Evans admitted. “Sleeping Warrior was really strange—you start when it is wet, then it gets worse, and all of a sudden, it is dry out of nowhere. It is unbelievable to believe the dry section is coming.”
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While Evans thrived, Rovanperä endured a frustrating morning after suffering two punctures, which dented his hopes of catching his teammate. The two-time Safari Rally champion acknowledged the setback but remained hopeful of a cleaner run in the afternoon.
“Not really where I would love to be,” Rovanperä said. “We started off really well, and then we had some bad luck with two punctures. We will try to have a clearer afternoon with no problems, hopefully.”
Hyundai’s Ott Tänak maintained his third-place position, navigating the challenging terrain carefully. The 2019 world champion, who had a difficult Friday, was focused on avoiding further trouble.
“It was tricky for us to have the grip on the corners,” Tänak explained. “But after yesterday, we are trying to be on the safe side and avoid trouble.”
One of the standout performances of the day came from Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta. Despite battling food poisoning on Friday, the Japanese driver stormed to victory in Soysambu One (28.97km), leapfrogging reigning world champion Thierry Neuville to claim fourth place overall.
The afternoon session saw drivers tackle the same three stages—Sleeping Warrior, Elementeita, and Soysambu—covering a total competitive distance of 147.02km. Rain earlier in the day made conditions especially unpredictable, with the Sleeping Warrior stage proving particularly treacherous.
What a day it’s been out there! 😅🇰🇪
— Elfyn Evans (@ElfynEvans) March 22, 2025
The weather has been terrible this afternoon making the conditions very difficult, proper Safari conditions! 🌧️
We still need to srive well tomorrow and see what we can pick up 👊🏻 #EE33 #SafariRallyKenya #ToyotaGAZOORacing pic.twitter.com/I9VYrh8wCg
Evans, who had started the day with a narrow seven-second lead over Rovanperä, capitalised on the difficult conditions to stretch his advantage.
In the WRC2 category, Gus Greensmith took over the lead from overnight frontrunner Kajetan Kajetanowicz, who was forced to retire in the morning loop. Meanwhile, Ott Tänak ended the day on a high by winning Soysambu Two with a time of 20 minutes and 19 seconds, ahead of Thierry Neuville and Oliver Solberg.
Kenyan drivers also faced tough competition, with Carl Tundo, Jeremy Wahome, Nikhil Sachania, and Hamza Anwar battling through the gruelling conditions. Wahome consistently secured top-fifteen finishes across multiple stages, showcasing his resilience.
With just five stages remaining on Sunday, Evans is firmly in control, but the unpredictable nature of the Safari Rally means the title race is far from over. The event concludes at Hell’s Gate in Naivasha, where Evans will aim to hold off any late challenges and secure his first Safari Rally win.
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