Threatening weather expected at Rally Kenya?

Are we going to be entitled to a Rally of Kenya totally different compared to the last three editions? We are still far from it since the Safari has not yet started but all the ingredients seem to be there for the first round on land of the season to be rich in spectacle.

First of all, the Rally1 hybrids regain an “old-fashioned” look with the appearance of snorkels. Or rather their return. Like the good old days of Safari. Since Kenya's return to the calendar, these had not been authorized for cost reasons. But it is not the appearance of the i20, Yaris or Fiesta that should spice up Kenya this year, if not Mother Nature whose whims could prove terrible for the competitors.

Rain as the protagonist at the Kenya Rally?

During the first reconnaissance at the start of the week, the pilots quickly faced the first signs of threatening weather since it was simply the rainy season there. A first taste?

« These will be very clean conditions,” quipped the pilot Toyota Takamoto Katsuta on social networks with photos of very muddy roads. “ Like a Monday,” joked for his part Adrien fourmaux accompanying his tweet with a video of the rain, visibly rather heavy.

Recce day1 of #SafariRalkyKenya (I.e.
Will be proper conditions😂

サファリラリーケニアのレッキ1日目！
ひとつ目のステージにてスタック続出😅 pic.twitter.com/pUINRXUuYc

— Takamoto Katsuta (@TakamotoKatsuta) March 25, 2024

Like a Monday pic.twitter.com/7cAn7hyGXF

— Adrien FOURMAUX (@AdrienFourmaux) March 25, 2024

Among the team bosses, Jari-Matti Latvala, director of Toyota, expects the situation to be somewhat different compared to previous editions of the Kenya Rally. “ This year, the new dates could offer a different challenge, advance-he. We are in the rainy season in Kenya, so there is a greater chance of harsh conditions. When it rains there, the stages can become extremely slippery and this can be quite a challenge for the drivers.

Patience is always very important, especially if the weather becomes difficult. Being the smartest and not the fastest may be the key. All our drivers know what to do there and we would really like to see another victory for Toyota. » In search of its first success, the Japanese manufacturer is bringing a general evolution to the suspension. Hoping that it resists the demanding Safari roads and that the weather doesn't play a bad trick on them.

If the Shakedown was not impacted by local rain, you will still have to keep your eyes glued to the sky and especially the weather radars!

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