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Relive the final day of the Safari Rally Kenya with live commentary

Relive the final day of the Safari Rally Kenya, the third round of the 2025 WRC season, with live commentary on AUTOhebdo.

Published 23/03/2025 à 12:00

Dorian Grangier

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Relive the final day of the Safari Rally Kenya with live commentary

© Nikos Katikis / DPPI

For the fifth consecutive season, the WRC is heading to Africa to compete in the Safari Rally Kenya, the third round of the 2025 championship. Like last year, the Kenyan event will take place in March (March 20-23) instead of June. A field of 39 cars was at the start of this 73rd edition on Thursday.

Sunday March 23 (65,99 km)
04h42 – SS17: Mzabibu 2 – 8,27 km: Ott Tänak
05h53 – SS18: Oserengoni 1 – 18,33 km: Takamoto katsuta
07h05 – SS19: Hell’s Gate 1 – 10,53 km: Adrien fourmaux
09h56 - SS20: Oserengoni 2 – 18,33 km: Takamoto katsuta
12h15 – SS21: Hell’s Gate 2 – 10,53 km

> Follow the evolution of the ranking live via the official WRC Live Timing

WRC – Safari Rally Kenya
Relive the last day live with commentary

13:15 p.m. – 👋 Thank you all for following us! See you on April 24th for the Rally Canary Islands, fourth round of the 2025 championship! Have a nice day!

Touched by grace, Elfyn Evans wins Safari Rally Kenya and soars in the championship

13h13 – 🔢 In the championship, Elfyn Evans had the best weekend in Kenya. Thanks to his victory, the Welshman now takes the lead in the championship with 88 points. His closest rival, Thierry Neuville (52 points), is already 36 points behind in 2nd place after only three rallies! With his retirement, Kalle Rovanperä (31 points) drops to 7th place in the Drivers' standings, behind Adrien fourmaux (33 points). Toyota remains in the lead among the Constructors with 158 points, ahead of Hyundai (122 points).

ES21 – 13:10 p.m.: 🏁 Elfyn Evans wins the Safari Rally Kenya! The Welshman claimed a second consecutive victory in 2 after a controlled weekend despite extreme conditions and won ahead of Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville. Adrien Fourmaux collects the ten points available this Sunday since Elfyn Evans finishes the Power Stage with the 6th time, 15″4 behind the Frenchman.

Safari Rally Kenya overall standings

Power Stage ranking

Super Sunday Rankings

SS21 – 13:05 p.m.: If Elfyn Evans secures the victory and does not attack, then Adrien Fourmaux will make it a clean sweep this Sunday by picking up the ten points awarded today (five for the Power Stage, five for Super Sunday).

SS21 – 13:04 p.m.: Ott Tänak is also slower than Adrien Fourmaux! The Estonian set the third fastest time in the Power Stage, 3 seconds behind the Frenchman. The 4 world champion finished in second place in this Safari, his first podium of the season and good points towards the championship.

SS21 – 12:58 p.m.: Thierry Neuville finishes the Power Stage… behind Adrien Fourmaux, 1 seconds behind the Frenchman! Adrien Fourmaux is set to make a clean sweep this Sunday: in any case, Super Sunday is (almost) in the bag!

SS21 – 12:55 p.m.: The Japanese driver had great difficulty crossing the finish line, practically at a standstill, 4'12 behind Adrien Fourmaux. While he is currently ranked behind Sami Pajari, he still needs to reach the official finish line in his Yaris to get the points! Takamoto Katsuta is dejected and speechless at the finish line... "I don't know how this happened. I just feel sorry for the team."

SS21 – 12:53 p.m.: Takamoto Katsuta is riding at a rather slow pace with a bad-sounding engine. Sami Pajari has virtually overtaken him in the overall standings.

ES21 – 12:52 p.m.: 🇫🇷 Katsuta's accident is good news for Adrien Fourmaux, who should finish with a lot of points this Sunday.

SS21 – 12:50 p.m.: Obviously, Katsuta won't score any points on the Power Stage or Super Sunday. But the Japanese driver could save the most important thing: fourth place overall. The Japanese driver is 4:2 behind Fourmaux at the first intermediate stage; the Toyota driver had a 55:3 lead over Pajari for fourth place at the start of the Power Stage.

SS21 – 12:48 a.m. : 💥 Takamoto Katsuta made a mistake and is on the roof! The Japanese driver went sideways in the first few hundred meters of the Power Stage and flipped his Yaris! Fortunately, with the help of spectators, he was able to get his car back on its four wheels and set off again!

SS21 – 12:45 a.m. : As expected, Sami Pajari did not play for points on this Power Stage and secured a fine 5th place on this Safari Rally Kenya, his best result of the season. The Finn finished 11 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux's time.

SS21 – 12:39 a.m. : Grégoire Munster will finish in 6th place and score good points on this Safari. The Belgian-Luxembourger concedes 9 seconds to Adrien Fourmaux for this SS3. The driver M-Sport is very moved upon arrival: "It was a very demanding rally, both mentally and physically. It was very emotional because my grandfather died on Wednesday, the day of the shakedown. We never gave up."

SS21 – 12:34 a.m. : While he's far from the fastest, Jourdan Serderidis nevertheless has the merit of finishing the Safari without encountering any major problems... and finishing in the Top 10! The Greek will score the two points for 9th place. He finishes this Power Stage 56 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux.

SS21 – 12:27 a.m. : Josh McErlean finished his first Safari with a Ford Puma in one piece... or almost, since his front left tire came off after contact with a large rock. The Irishman finished 16 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux on this Power Stage.

SS21 – 12:21 p.m.: ⏱️🇫🇷 It's slower than this morning for Adrien Fourmaux, who sets the first reference time in 5'38″2 on this Power Stage. The Frenchman took the floor to thank the fans who came in great numbers to this final special.

SS21 – 12:17 a.m. : Moreover, the Frenchman was the fastest this morning during the first pass on Hell's Gate, with a time of 5'34″8.

SS21 – 12:15 a.m. : 🟢 This Power Stage is underway with the departure of Adrien Fourmaux, who is aiming for a clean sweep this Sunday!

12h08 – This Power Stage will also be an opportunity to enjoy, one last time, the magnificent landscapes of Kenya and the Safari Rally.

12h05 - Here is the starting order for this Power Stage. Unlike usual, there's no Rally2 to kick things off; instead, the Rally1 stages will begin directly. Drivers will set off every six minutes on this Hell's Gate special.

1) 12:15 p.m. – Fourmaux
2) 12:21 – McErlean
3) 12:27 – Serderidis
4) 12:33 p.m. – Munster
5) 12:39 – Pajari
6) 12:45 – Katsuta
7) 12:51 p.m. – Neuville
8) 12:57 – Tanak
9) 13:03 p.m. – Evans

12h00 – 🔎 We remind you of the general classification of this Safari Rally Kenya before the start of the Power Stage. Barring any disaster, the rankings should not change at the end of this final special stage, given the huge gaps between the drivers.

11h10 – 🔎 The Power Stage (Hell's Gate 2 – 10,53 km) will start at 12:15 p.m.

11h07 – 🔎 Here is the Super Sunday ranking with Adrien Fourmaux taking the lead on Sunday, just ahead of Takamoto Katsuta and Thierry Neuville. Nothing is decided before the Power Stage!

SS20 – 10:56 a.m. : 🏁 Elfyn Evans remained very cautious in this 20th and penultimate stage, 27 seconds behind Takamoto Katsuta, who once again took the scratch on this Oserengoni stage. The Welshman is now just one special stage away from a second consecutive victory in 2025.

ES20 – Ranking

SS20 – 10:53 a.m. : Ott Tänak finished 9 seconds behind Takamoto Katsuta. The Estonian is preparing for the Power Stage by conserving power in his tires.

SS20 – 10:50 a.m. : Thierry Neuville falls 4 seconds behind Takamoto Katsuta and 5 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux… which means that Adrien Fourmaux is in the lead on Super Sunday before the Power Stage!

SS20 – 10:47 a.m. : ⏱️ Takamoto Katsuta confirms and sets the best time in 11'00"5! In the Super Sunday standings, Adrien Fourmaux remains ahead of the Japanese by three tenths!

SS20 – 10:45 a.m. : Sami Pajari also secures his 5th place overall and takes no risks this Sunday: the young Finn finishes 26 seconds behind the Hyundai driver's time. Behind him, Takamoto Katsuta is going faster than everyone else!

SS20 – 10:41 a.m. : Grégoire Munster, 6th overall, takes care of his ride to finish this rally: the M-Sport driver crosses the finish line 17″1 behind Adrien Fourmaux.

SS20 – 10:37 a.m. Jourdan Serderidis finished 1:29 seconds behind the Frenchman. The Greek is apparently suffering from a gearbox problem.

SS20 – 10:33 a.m. Josh McErlean finished SS20 25 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux. The Irishman is on the verge of the Top 4.

SS20 – 10:31 a.m. : 🔎 Grégoire Munster is at the start of this 20th special after having encountered a mechanical problem at the finish of SS19.

SS20 – 10:30 a.m. : ⏱️🇫🇷 First out, first in: Adrien Fourmaux sets the first mark in 11:01.

SS20 – 10:26 a.m. : 📸 As usual, the Safari offers us incredible images in the middle of the Kenyan savannah.

© Red Bull Content Pool

SS20 – 10:22 a.m. Earlier in the morning, Takamoto Katsuta set the fastest time on the first run of this special stage in 11'11"1.

SS20 – 10:19 a.m. : 🟢 Adrien Fourmaux sets off, it's off for this 20th and penultimate special stage of this Safari Rally Kenya!

10h15 – 🔎 Here are the Rally1 drivers' tire choices for this final loop and the last two stages. Adrien Fourmaux is the only one to carry only one spare tire, a risky choice, but the Frenchman has nothing to lose this Sunday.

10h10 – 📺 Here is the reason for the delay of this ES20…

9h35 – ⚠️ Due to traffic jams and delays, the start of SS20 has been delayed by about twenty minutes. The start time is now scheduled for 10:19.

7h50 – 🔎 The start of SS20 (Oserengoni 2 – 18,33 km) will be given at 9:56 a.m.

SS19 – 7:48 a.m. : Here is the overall standings for this Safari Rally Kenya after SS19. Elfyn Evans is not trembling and is heading straight for a second consecutive victory in 2025. In WRC2, after Jan Solans' roll, Gus Greensmith is the comfortable leader of the category with more than three minutes ahead of the Spaniard.

SS19 – 7:36 a.m. : 🏁 Elfyn Evans crossed the line in 5th place, 12 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux, meaning the Frenchman secured his first scratch of the weekend in Kenya! The Welshman, meanwhile, continues to maintain his lead at the head of the Safari Rally Kenya with a 1'38 lead over Ott Tänak!

ES19 – Ranking

SS19 – 7:33 a.m. Adrien Fourmaux's time still stands: Ott Tänak concedes 5 seconds to his teammate on this special. The Frenchman gains another position in the Super Sunday standings ahead of the Estonian.

SS19 – 7:30 a.m. Thierry Neuville also failed to beat the time set by Adrien Fourmaux at the start of the special. The Belgian finished 2 seconds behind the Frenchman.

SS19 – 7:27 a.m. : No scratch for Takamoto Katsuta on this 19th special, the Japanese driver finished 4 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux. The Frenchman therefore gained a position in the Super Sunday standings, with a 5 second lead over the Toyota driver.

SS19 – 7:24 a.m. : 13″3 behind Sami Pajari on Adrien Fourmaux at the finish of SS19.

SS19 – 7:21 a.m. : 🛠️ The third and final M-Sport driver, Grégoire Munster, finishes this special stage in slow motion! The Belgian-Luxembourg driver crossed the line 36 seconds behind the benchmark time for this SS2. Will he be able to repair the damage in the short service zone, which will only last 19 minutes?

SS19 – 7:18 a.m. : The gentleman driver Jourdan Serderidis, not very fast but consistent and present in the Top 10 overall, finished this special 46″0 behind Adrien Fourmaux.

SS19 – 7:15 a.m. Josh McErlean, who is new to this rally in the premier category, finished 13 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux. The Irishman came close to a herd of zebras in the heart of this special.

SS19 – 7:13 a.m. : 🔎 As a reminder, drivers are not providing commentary at the finish of the stages this weekend. In protest against the FIA ​​and the heavy sanctions imposed on those using inappropriate language, WRC drivers have decided to respond with a "word strike" in Kenya.

WRC drivers respond to FIA with 'word strike'

SS19 – 7:12 a.m. : ⏱️🇫🇷 Adrien Fourmaux was the first to cross the finish line, with a reference time of 5'34″8.

SS19 – 7:10 a.m. : 🔎 This Hell's Gate special, one of the most iconic stages of this Safari, will host the Power Stage later this month to close the rally. This first run is an opportunity for the drivers to get their bearings on a slightly modified route compared to 2024.

SS19 – 7:07 a.m. : ⏪ If you were away on Saturday, here's a recap of the completely crazy day we had yesterday in Kenya, with truly hellish conditions in the rain!

SS19 – 7:05 a.m. : 🟢 Adrien Fourmaux, back on track this morning after his two withdrawals at the start of the weekend, opens the ball this Sunday and sets off on this 19th (and penultimate) special stage of the Safari.

 7h03 – The Safari Rally Kenya, one of the most popular and spectacular rallying events, is set to remain on the WRC calendar for several more years. We're delighted!

Safari Rally – Kenya on the calendar for several years

7h01 – 🔎 Here is the starting order for this final day of racing in Kenya.

1 – Fourmaux
2 – McErlean
3 – Serderidis
4 – Munster
5 – Pajari
6 – Rovanperä
7 – Katsuta
8 – Neuville
9 – Tanak
10 – Evans

6h58 – 📺 While the weather and track conditions are much better than yesterday, with bright sunshine over the Naivasha region, the images are nonetheless impressive, at nearly 200 km/h on dirt and grass tracks.

6h56 – 🔎 Who says WRC on Sunday, also says Super Sunday! After two special stages, Thierry Neuville leads this additional classification, which includes all the special stages held on Sunday, with a 2″ lead over his teammate Ott Tänak. As a reminder, the driver who wins this Super Sunday will earn five additional points.

6h54 – ❌ The main news of the morning is the retirement of Kalle Rovanperä before the start of SS18! The Finn, who was in fifth place, had to return to the service park due to an alternator belt problem. The two-time world champion will not score any points this weekend in Kenya.

6h52 – 🔎 If you missed the first two stages of the day, here are the general classification before the start of SS19 with Elfyn Evans still well ahead of Ott Tänak in Safari Rally Kenya.

6h50 – 👋 Hello everyone ! Welcome to this live commentary to follow the final day of the Safari Rally Kenya, the third round of the 2025 WRC season! The start of SS19 (Hell's Gate 1 – 10,53 km) will be given in a few minutes, at 7:05!

Safari Rally Kenya WRC Live Commentary

© Nikos Katikis / DPPI

ALSO READ > Safari Rally – The magic of the Rift seen from the sky

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Dorian Grangier

A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.

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