Elfyn Evans claimed a landmark victory on Sunday after winning his first Safari Rally title during the third round of the World Rally Championship held in Naivasha.
The win tightens Elfyn Evans grip on the WRC standings.
The Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver, co-driven by Scott Martin, beat Hyundai rival Ott Tänak to secure his second win of the season while Tänak’s team-mate and defending champion Thierry Neuville completed the podium.
The Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver, co-driven by Scott Martin, beat Hyundai rival Ott Tänak to secure his second win of the season while Tänak’s team-mate and defending champion Thierry Neuville completed the podium.
Evans arrived in Africa riding a wave of momentum following victory in Sweden and a runner-up finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo. Now, with a commanding 36-point advantage at the top of the drivers’ standings, the Welshman has carved out clear daylight between himself and his title rivals after the third of 14 rounds.
His latest success was built across a punishing four-day route that began in Nairobi on Thursday and ventured deep into Kenya’s unforgiving Great Rift Valley. And as ever, the Safari’s raw spectacle drew huge crowds – with police estimating over 250,000 fans lined the stages this year, up from 188,000 in 2024.
Evans moved into the lead late on Friday when early pacesetter Tänak was delayed by a broken driveshaft on his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 – and from there, he never looked back.
It was far from a trouble-free run, however. He overcame tyre deflations and spins earlier in the rally, then carefully managed an electrical issue throughout Sunday’s final leg. Tänak chipped away at the deficit across the closing stages, but Evans held firm to join a select group of British drivers to have conquered the Safari – following in the wheel tracks of legends Colin McRae and Richard Burns.
Tänak was joined on the podium by team-mate and reigning world champion Thierry Neuville, who finished 2min 22.1sec behind after a drama-filled weekend. The Belgian’s troubles began on Friday with a one-minute time penalty after a delayed gearbox change, followed by further penalties for a jump start and a late arrival as he worked to repair damage to his car’s cooling package on Saturday.
By Bernard Okumu
