Safari Rally – Hyundai will focus on reliability

The question arose at the end of the rally from Sweden. Having just witnessed a new double Toyota after that of Monte-Carlo, Cyril Abiteboul had explained that nothing had been decided for Kenya regarding the equipment that was going to be flown to Nairobi. Before choosing, the French director wanted to know if it was relevant to travel to Africa with a machine on which his technicians ultimately had little perspective and experience. The Rally1, equipped with developments since the Nordic rally, had not yet raced on gravel. It was legitimate to wonder if for its baptism on this surface it was necessary to subject it to the outrages of the African tracks. The balance tipped in favor of the " immense ».

Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak et Adrien fourmaux will therefore use a 2024 definition that the team knows well. While this will not be a problem for the Belgian and the Estonian who were there in 2024, the Frenchman will clearly start with a handicap, because he has not driven the old car often on gravel and in addition he was not able to complete his test day since a problem prevented him from doing so. By eliminating the technical unknowns, the Korean team hopes to have only one major issue to deal with, that of the Hankook tires on which none of the competitors really have any experience.

Bad timing for Hyundai

To Hyundai, the Safari doesn't come at the best of times. After seeing its only rival in the championship win the first two races, each time with a one-two finish, the gap in the constructors' standings is already 48 points. This is not prohibitive at this point in the season, but isn't it urgent to prevent the gap from growing further? To achieve this, will the i20s be able to compete with the Yaris in Kenya?

Statistics say otherwise. In 4 editions, Japanese cars have always won on this terrain. It has even often turned into a demonstration with two hat-tricks (2022 and 2023) and two one-twos (2021 and 2024). So far, only Ott Tänak has managed to bring a podium to Hyundai (in 2021). With its 21 special stages and especially its 383,10 timed kilometers, the Safari should be the longest event of the season and also the most demanding. While the 73^e The upcoming edition promises to be the toughest ever faced, will the Korean Rally1s manage to find the fault?

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