Battle lines drawn as WRC Safari Rally entry list is released
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 22.02.25. | 11:14
The Kenyan charge is led by Carl Tundo and Karan Patel
The entry list for the first gravel round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is out, with 10 top-level Rally1 cars and 16 WRC2 entries confirmed for Safari Rally.
Running from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 March, Safari Rally is one of the most punishing events on the calendar.
Crews must tackle relentless fesh-fesh sand, deep ruts, and notorious water crossings, all while braving weather that can flip from scorching heat to torrential rain in minutes. This year's route has also been tinkered, adding to the Safari's tough appeal.
Championship leader Elfyn Evans heads the list for Toyota GAZOO Racing, holding a 28-point advantage coming into the rally. Joining him is two-time Safari winner Kalle Rovanperä, alongside Takamoto Katsuta, who has finished on the podium in three of his four previous Safari start.
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Sami Pajari also lines up in a GR Yaris Rally1 under Toyota’s second-string squad.
Hyundai Motorsport is determined to break Toyota’s unbeaten run on the Safari since its WRC return in 2021, with Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Adrien Fourmaux spearheading the team’s i20 N Rally1 attack.
M-Sport Ford fields a trio of Puma Rally1 cars, with Grégoire Munster, Josh McErlean, and gentleman driver Jourdan Serderidis taking the wheel.
The entry list for the first gravel round of the season is out 🤩https://t.co/XCflXSR9c1 pic.twitter.com/S2nnAoEkpL
— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) February 21, 2025
In WRC2, reigning champion Oliver Solberg headlines the category in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, while Kajetan Kajetanowicz debuts a similar car.
Other notable entries include Jan Solans, Gus Greensmith, and FIA Junior WRC regular Diego Domínguez, who all begin their WRC2 campaigns here.
Paraguay’s Fau Zaldivar is another name to watch, while local stars Karan Patel, Carl Tundo, Hamza Anwar and Jeremiah Wahome will be flying the Kenyan flag.
