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

This time, the action really begins. After two short special stages on Thursday, the competitors of the WRC are tackling the first real full day of the Safari Rally Kenya this Friday with no fewer than 8 stages, 7 of which can be followed live with commentary on AUTOhebdo. It's Ott Tänak who leads the debates in the general classification with a 2" lead over Takamoto Katsuta and a 4" lead over Grégoire Munster. For Adrien fourmaux, business got off to a bad start with a battery problem which prevented him from taking part in SS10 this Thursday. The Northerner will be at the start this Friday but with a 10-minute penalty.

05h28 – SS3: Camp Moran 1 – 31,40 km
06h52 – SS4: Loldia 1 – 19,11 km
08h05 – SS5: Geothermal 1 – 13,18 km
09h02 – SS6: Kedong 1 – 15,10 km
11h30 – SS7: Camp Moran 2 – 31,40 km
13h08 – ES8 Loldia 2 – 19,11 km
14h21 – SS9: Geothermal 2 – 13,18 km
15h14 – SS10: Kedong 2 – 15,10 km

WRC – Safari Rally Kenya 2025
The first day with live commentary

15:50 PM – 🏁 Saturday's Safari Rally Kenya 2025 will begin at 6:35 AM with a total of 6 special stages on the program. Thank you for joining us, and have a great evening everyone! See you tomorrow!

15:50 p.m. – 🏁 End of the day in Kenya and a second scratch in a row for Rovanperä who beat Katsuta by 3 tenths. In the general classification, the Finn is back to 7 seconds behind Evans. Still affected by mechanical problems on his i7, Tänak remains third but has fallen back to 20 seconds behind the leader. Neuville is 4th, 36 seconds behind the provisional Top 3

SS10 standings

General classification after SS10

15h43 - Fifth provisional time for Pajari in 7'28“9, 4“8 behind Rovanperä

15h37 - 4 seconds behind Neuville with a time of 5:7. The Belgian is back to 28 seconds from third place held by Tänak before Saturday's match.

15h34 - Almost a scratch for Katsuta who failed 3 tenths behind Rovanperä

15:29 p.m. – On the finish line, Tänak lost another 42 seconds, dropping back to 2 seconds behind Evans. 55'5"8 for the Estonian, who should regain the assistance in third place overall.

15h25 - Rovanperä is still gaining ground on Evans, who will still finish the day in the lead. The Welshman suffered a rear-right puncture in the final sector. This allowed Rovanperä to close the gap to 7 seconds.

15h21 - After 2 km, Tänak has already lost more than 6 seconds to Rovanperä in this SS10…

15:14 p.m. – 🟢 The final stage of the day is underway! Will Evans still be the leader? Will Tänak have managed to fix the problems with his i20? We'll find out in a few minutes!

14:59 p.m. – 🏁 The start of SS10 is scheduled for 15:14 p.m.

14:57 p.m. – 🏁 First scratch of the weekend for Rovanperä. But the main news concerns Tänak, the problems he encountered and especially the impact on the general classification since he is no longer leader of the Safari. It was Evans who took advantage of his rival's setbacks to take the reins on a stage at the end of the day. Tänak himself fell back to 3rd, 16 seconds behind, but could lose even more ground on SS8.

SS9 standings

General classification after SS9

14h50 - 7'06"5 for Pajari, 8"7 behind Rovanperä. This makes him the 4th fastest man on the special

14h44 - Third provisional time for Neuville, who finished 6 seconds behind Rovanperä. The Belgian has returned to within 7'1 of the Top 13 after Tänak's setbacks.

14:41 – 💥 Katsuta suffered a front left puncture, losing 35 seconds at the finish. He had a 5:7 second puncture of the day.

14:36 p.m. – And Evans takes the lead overall! 8:05 seconds for Tänak at the finish line, who lost 9:1 seconds, dropping back to provisional 08rd place. What a blow for the Estonian who had had a perfect day up until then...

14h34 - After 9 seconds, Tänak lost 8 seconds… A godsend for Evans who will regain the lead in the rally

14h32 - Rovanperä beats Evans' mark by 5 seconds to come back to within 2 seconds of the Welshman

14:31 p.m. – ⚙️ After 5 kilometers, Tänak dropped 22 seconds. This looks very bad for him…

14h29 - 7'03"1 for Evans who could find himself leading the rally at the end of this special!

14:28 p.m. – ⚙️ Problems for Tänak! The Estonian, who stopped a few times on the road to work on the right-front suspension, started the stage smoothly when the starting signal was given to him… He had a lead of more than 45 seconds!

14:21 p.m. – 🟢 Time for SS9, the shortest stage of the loop and the only one Tänak hasn't yet won this Friday. Will he succeed this time? The answer will be in a few minutes. In the meantime, Evans is kicking off the hostilities.

13:53 p.m. – 🏁 The start of SS9 is scheduled for 14:21 p.m.

13:51 p.m. – 🏁 Fourth in the day's scratch for Tänak, who takes the lead in the general classification. The Estonian now has a lead of more than 45 seconds over the rest of the field. His runner-up Evans is 46 seconds behind, while Rovanperä is more than a minute behind!

SS8 standings

General classification after SS8

13h47 - 14'47“8 for Munster on the line 24“2 from the reference of the special

13h44 - Pajari reaches the finish line in 14'41"8 from Tänak 18"3

13h42 - McErlean was forced to ride in "road mode" after the problems encountered on the previous special. Unsurprisingly, the Irishman lost a lot of time. 15:40 for him on the line, 5:1 behind Tänak.

13h38 - And here is Neuville on the finish line at 6 seconds. 4'14 for him who sets the 30rd provisional time of the SS

13:36 p.m. – 👨‍⚖️ Never two without three. Third penalty of the day for Neuville: 50 seconds for checking in 5 minutes late at TC8. That's why Katsuta found himself in front of him on the road.

13h35 - 14'34“4 for Katsuta who finished 10“8 behind Tänak's mark

13h33 - Almost no surprises because we expected it but Hyundai has this time made official the abandonment for the rest of the day for Fourmaux

The Safari Rally takes no prisoners. 😥 A puncture followed by suspension damage on the toughest stage of the season means @adrienfourmaux and @_alexcoria_ are going no further ❌#WRC #SafariRallyKenya pic.twitter.com/hgRVYhbYXa

— Hyundai Motorsport (@HMSGOfficial) March 21, 2025

13h29 - Tänak didn't let up. Another great time from the Estonian, who put 2 seconds behind Evans with a time of 6:14. He lost a little time in the last sector as he had a lead of more than 23 seconds. This allowed him to push the Welshman back to 8 seconds.

13h26 - In the fight for second place, Rovanperä lost ground to Evans. The Finn lost 2 seconds with a time of 5:14. He is now 31 seconds behind the Welshman in the general classification.

13h23 - The intercom is clearly working well. 14'26"2 for Evans, who was 6 seconds faster than during the morning run. The Welshman is keeping a close eye on Rovanperä, over whom he has a lead of just over 3 seconds with three kilometers to go in the special.

13h12 - A small but equally important detail: Evans and his co-driver Martin swapped helmets. The duo Toyota had noted interference issues with the communications system during ES7. Will this solution resolve the problem?

13:08 p.m. – 🟢 It's time for the second special stage of this afternoon loop. A very fast stage, as a reminder, with an average speed of around 80 km/h and, above all, less demanding than the previous one, to the delight of the drivers. Evans is on the road!

12h31 - 🏁 The start of SS8 is scheduled for 13:08 p.m.

12h27 - 🏁 Excellent performance for Neuville, who scored his first scratch in this Safari 2025 by more than 20 seconds. This allows him to come back to just 23 seconds from the podium, even though he received a 7'1 penalty this morning! Tänak remains the leader, now 10 seconds ahead of Evans!

SS7 standings

General classification after SS7

12h18 - 3'09"9 behind the line for McErlean who manages to complete this special as best he can. 29'06"8 on the clock

12:16 p.m. – 💥 McErlean also stopped very close to the finish. This is a second stop for the Irishman who had already said he saw nothing while his Puma really seems to be heating up. This Camp Moran special really puts the machines to the test

12:11 p.m. – 💥 This time Fourmaux stops because he had no choice. The steering finally failed on the front right after driving several kilometers with a flat tire. The Northerner stops at km 28

12h09 - After his misfortunes a few hours earlier, Katsuta took no risks in this new passage. 26'41“8 for him to 41“5 from Neuville

12:08 p.m. – 💥 Puncture for Fourmaux on the front right… The Northerner will still go to the finish without stopping but will lose a lot of time

12h06 - Oh yes! Neuville wasn't messing around in this passage. 25'56"9 for the Belgian, beating Tänak's mark of 22"4! This allows him to come back to just over 23 seconds behind Rovanperä (3rd) even though he received a 1'10 penalty this morning! Is the reigning champion back?

12h03 - Big move from Tänak, who beats Rovanperä by 7 seconds and Evans by 9 seconds. A big day for the Estonian, who now has a 19 second lead in the general classification. The new time to beat is 1:43 seconds.

12h00 - Rovanperä halves his deficit to Evans. The Finn regains 11 seconds with a time of 2:26 seconds to get back to 27 seconds.

11h57 - Evans comes out on top in this tough and demanding Camp Moran special in 26'38"4. A great effort from the Welshman who managed to avoid all the traps, between rocks and dust

11h49 - A first reaction from Fourmaux after the morning loop: “ It was a positive morning for us. Without the 10-minute penalty, we would be third in the rally, so it's a bit frustrating. It's hard to accept what happened yesterday. But we'll try to get back into the top 10 and take some points at the end of the weekend. In Kenya, anything can happen, so we just have to try to avoid problems to score some points. »

11h46 - Tänak still on the rise after his great morning? After 9,8 km, the Estonian already has a lead of almost 6 seconds over Rovanperä and 9 over Evans.

11h40 - With just under the 9km mark, Rovanperä is 2 seconds ahead of Evans. The Finn started the loop 5 seconds behind the Welshman, currently 22nd overall.

11h34 - In terms of strategy, only Fourmaux and Rovanperä opted for two soft and four hard tires for the afternoon loop. The rest of the field is on six hard tires.

11:30 a.m. – 🟢 The action resumes in Kenya where the start of SS7 has been given! The afternoon loop is underway!

9:40 a.m. – 🏁 The rally is scheduled to resume at 11:45 a.m.

9:36 a.m. – 🏁 1'08“4 behind Sederidis who missed a right-hander while going left. 8'29“8 for him on the line. So it's Tänak who signs a 3rd scratch in 4 starts this Friday morning to consolidate his lead at the head of the rally. Here is the Estonian with a 24“4 margin on his runner-up Evans while Rovanperä is more than 45 seconds behind

SS6 standings

General classification after SS6

9h34 - The ordeal is over for Munster, who is riding a heavily damaged Puma after the suspension broke during SS4. The Luxembourger completed this stage in 8:55, 9:1 behind Tänak, no surprises.

9h29 - Another one who is happy to see the finish line of this SS6. Pajari conceded 14 seconds but must especially relish the fact of being able to return to service to finally repair his Yaris.

9h26 - 7'36"4 for McErlean who was content to reach the finish, finishing 15 full seconds behind Tänak

9h23 - Fourmaux didn't take any risks in this last outing of the morning. The Northerner kept his energy up and finished 9 seconds behind Tänak with a time of 6:7

9h20 - Katsuta is delighted to be done with this loop after his misfortunes earlier in the morning. 7'27"7 for the Japanese on the line, 6"3 behind Tänak

9h17 - 7'29"3 for Neuville, 8 seconds behind Tänak

9h11 - Tänak gives himself even more breathing room at the top of the general classification. The Estonian improved Rovanperä's time by 3 seconds. He now has a 24 second lead over Evans.

9h08 - Rovanperä is back to 22 seconds behind Evans after his passage in this SS7. The Finn has in fact improved by 6 seconds thanks to a time of 2:1 seconds.

9h05 - 7'26"5 for Evans who completes the morning loop

8:57 a.m. – 🟢 No time to waste in Kenya where the last special of the morning is already underway! Evans is on the road

8h44 – 🏁 And a first scratch for Rovanperä in this Safari Rally Kenya 2025. The Finn puts an end to Tänak's faultless run on this Friday morning and clings to 3rd place overall. The Estonian remains the solid leader with a 19" lead over Evans.

SS5 standings

General classification after SS5

8h40 – Munster struggles to reach the finish of SS5 after breaking his suspension on the previous stage. The Luxembourger lost 1'07"5 and is just waiting for service to get his Puma back in shape.

8h36 – Pajari plays it easy. 7'15“8 for the Finn, 12“4 behind Rovanperä. The Toyota driver is just waiting for assistance as he can no longer afford a puncture.

8h33 – If he didn't aim for the best time, McErlean will be kicking himself in the final corner of the special. It cost him time and the Irishman finished 15 seconds behind Rovanperä.

8h30 – The gaps are going to be tight. Katsuta and Fourmaux have just completed their passage, 2 and 9 respectively behind Rovanperä.

8h24 – Meanwhile, Neuville crosses the line a full second behind Rovanperä. He is now 1'1 behind Tänak after receiving a 33-second penalty. He is already 10'1 behind this Friday morning.

8h22 – Bad news for Neuville who has apparently received a 10-second penalty for a false start

8h20 – Rovanperä's time held firm after Tänak's passage. The Estonian lost 1 seconds to the Finn but remains in the lead.

8h15 – First ray of sunshine for Rovanperä this day? 7'03“4 the Finn who improves Evans' mark by 5“2

8h12 – A short and fast special in the Kenyan savannah is evidenced by Evans' time of 7'08"6, the first benchmark to beat in this SS5

8h05 – 🟢 Evans receives the starting signal and will open the road on this Kengen Geothermal special (13,19 km). It is the shortest of the loop

7h44 – 🏁 The start of SS4 is scheduled for 8:05 a.m.

7h39 – 🏁 The scratch for Tänak who continues his flawless run this Friday morning. 2/2 for the Estonian, solid leader of the Safari with now 15 seconds ahead of Evans. Rovanperä remains 4rd but has lost significant seconds and is now 3 seconds behind the Hyundai driver.

SS4 standings

General classification after SS4

7h37 – The ordeal is over for Munster, who lose 3'17"4 with a time of 17'47"2. "We were in a rough section and something gave way..." Meanwhile, Serderidis finishes the special in 15'40"5, 1'10"7 behind Tänak

7h33 – Munster is riding at a slow pace, losing more than 2'30 with three kilometers to go. The Luxembourger is dragging a broken right rear suspension.

7h31 – Pajari didn't want to take any risks after his puncture on SS4 and his cracked windscreen. The Finn eased off slightly, losing 24 seconds to Tänak.

7h27 – McErlean is behind in this SS4 and could lose his 4th place overall as Munster arrives in a few minutes. 14'58"4 for the Irishman at 28"6 behind Tänak

7h24 – Fourmaux provisionally 4th in this SS4. The Northerner finished in 14'33“2, 3“4 behind Tänak. Unfortunately, his 10-minute penalty almost definitively removes him from the top of the standings.

7h22 – Katsuta in “away from trouble” mode after his setbacks in the previous special. The Japanese rider lost 27 seconds to Tänak. He is now more than 9 minutes behind in the overall standings. Are his podium hopes already over?

7h18 – And on the line…. Neuville misses the best time by 1 seconds on Tänak. Simple thumbs up for the Belgian, apparently happy with his passage

7h15 – The first improvement came from Tänak. The Estonian crossed the finish line 2 seconds ahead of Evans and consolidated his lead at the top of the general classification with a time of 3:14. I'm overcome with emotion, " he joked. preferring "not responding in obvious reference to the strike of words against the FIA

7h10 – On the line, Rovanperä's deficit to Evans is 15 seconds. 4'14"47 for the double world champion, 4rd overall before the start of SS3. As for the reaction? A simple thumbs down. It's going to be a long weekend to hope to get any words from the riders.

7h06 – Evans finishes this Loldia stage in 14:32. At the last checkpoint, he was almost 1 seconds ahead of Rovanperä. For the SS debrief, good luck since he answered in Welsh, a language that we unfortunately don't speak at AUTOhebdo.

6h59 – 🔄 A small spin for Rovanperä after a little less than 5 kilometers in the special. The Finn lost the rear of the car in a right-hand bend. More of a scare than harm for the double world champion who managed to get going again even if he lost a few seconds in the process

6h55 – Here is the choice of tires for this morning loop:

6h52 – 🟢 SS4 is underway. Evans is first on the road with 19,11 kilometers on the program! We expect a very fast stage, around 80 km/h on average

6h50 - Here is the starting order for the day: 

• Evans
• Rovanperä
• Thank you
• Neuville
• Feel it
• Fourmaux
• McErlean
• Pottery
• Munster
• Serderidis

6h45 – 👋 Hello everyone ! Welcome to this live commentary to follow the first day of the Safari Rally Kenya, the third round of the 2025 WRC season, with live commentary on AUTOhebdo! The start of SS4 (Loldia 1 – 19,11 km) will be given in a few minutes, at 6:52 a.m.!

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