"What the organizers and the FIA ​​did is unacceptable": Why chaos reigned on SS12 and SS13 of the Safari Rally

The thirteenth stage of the 2026 Safari Rally was prematurely interrupted. The reason? Appalling conditions that trapped the drivers one by one. Besides the omnipresent mud, punctures decimated the field between SS12 and SS13. Oliver Solberg lost significant time (before retiring after the loop), while Jon Armstrong suffered a double puncture. But it was Elfyn Evans who paid the ultimate price. Already the victim of a double puncture in SS12, the Welshman was definitively out of contention during the following stage, his right rear suspension torn off after attempting to drive with major damage for 3 km.

While the Kenyan terrain was indeed treacherous, a last-minute change is being blamed by the crews. Following reconnaissance runs, the organizers altered the course by installing barriers on an ultra-fast section to prevent drivers from cutting corners. Caught off guard by this change in trajectory, which forced them onto a line strewn with stones, the drivers suffered a series of punctures.

The pilots are protesting

This is bound to annoy more than one of them. It's incredible. They changed the route after the reconnaissance. Takamoto Katsuta is indignant during the twelfth special stage. How can we make notes from the video? The line was completely wrong in the ruts, I now have a double puncture. They need to do this before the rally. " He adds : " I cannot accept this change of route and the addition of barriers. It's frustrating. Everyone had a puncture on the front right, probably in the same place. »

An observation shared by Elfyn Evans before her abandonment. “ It's an absolute joke. They put all this stuff at the finish line to stop us from cutting corners after the reconnaissance, now there are rocks everywhere. I went off the line and got a flat tire. It's completely chaotic. " he fumes. After a double puncture during SS12, the Welshman was then taken out of the competition after a right rear suspension was torn off and he drove with damage for 3 km.

Having suffered two punctures during the twelfth special stage, Oliver Solberg also denounced poor management. What the organizers and the FIA ​​did here at the end is unacceptable. They added poles and sent us a video by phone. Now there are stones everywhere. They talk about safety, but it's dangerous. »

The FIA ​​responds

The governing body nevertheless defended its decision. Following reconnaissance of SS12/15 and SS13/16, it became clear that competitors were deviating substantially from the designated roadway. Consequently, and in accordance with Article 19.2 of the Sporting Regulations of the WRC At the FIA's request, the organizers installed barriers and additional tape on the last 1,13 km of SS12/15 and the last 0,9 km of SS13/16, in order to ensure compliance with the defined route. »

However, the competitors in the Safari Rally were informed of these changes the day before the affected stages. Following the implementation of these measures, the Race Director issued Communication No. 8 on March 13 at 17:45 p.m., informing competitors of these changes. This was followed by the distribution of videos of the modified sections to all competitors, in accordance with standard practice for FIA World Rally Championship events. This allowed crews sufficient time to review the changes and adjust their pace notes accordingly. "The information therefore seems to have arrived too late. For the pilots, these visual aids alone proved clearly insufficient to anticipate the new traps in the bush."

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