Ogier edges Rovanpera in tight Safari opener
Reading Time: 4min | Thu. 24.06.21. | 18:00
Toyota Gazoo Racing raced for a clean sweep in the first section.
Sebastián Ogier set a hot early pace at the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally on Thursday, 24 June, as the top three drivers were blanketed by less than a second at the thrilling opening at Kasarani.
A good start for us in the spectacular super special, but the real challenges are still to come! 💪#ToyotaGAZOORacing #PushingTheLimitsForBetter #YarisWRC #WRC #SafariRallyKenya pic.twitter.com/P7KVkaa2DB
— Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT (@TGR_WRC) June 24, 2021
As the FIA World Rally Championship returned to Kenya for the first time in 19 years, the series leader was 0.3sec faster than Toyota Yaris team-mate Kalle Rovanperä in the curtain-raising 4.84km Super Special Kasarani on the edge of the capital.
Kenyans warmly welcomed the WRC Safari Rally and as expected the drivers did not disappoint. It’s going to be an epic three-day showdown.#WRC #SafariRallyKenya pic.twitter.com/R2778WpAe1
— Safari Rally Kenya (@wrcsafarirally) June 24, 2021
Elfyn Evans completed a Toyota Gazoo Racing clean sweep of the top three, the Welshman a further 0.4sec back.
Ogier and Ott Tänak went head-to-head in the final frontline heat around the sweeping curves and jumps of the purpose-built track in front of an excited large crowd. Kicking up huge plumes of dust, Ogier beat the Hyundai i20 driver by 2.5sec.
“Tomorrow is going to be the real start. It has been amazing to see so much crowd. Tomorrow some tough stuff is coming,” warned the Frenchman at the stage finish as he eyed the punishing rocky roads to come.
SAFARI RALLY KENYA: 📺 There's a police escort for the multi-million £/€ convoy of WRC cars heading back to Naivasha from Nairobi this afternoon.
— Rallying UK 🌐 (@RallyingUK) June 24, 2021
🇰🇪 @wrcsafarirally | @PoliceKE | @OfficialWRC | @fia | @pirellisport | #WRCSafariRally | #WRCjp | #WRC 📹 @JustJhoom https://t.co/tTNMXIKF85
Rovanperä, whose father, Harri, twice finished second on the grueling Safari, was a clear winner over Hyundai’s Dani Sordo. Evans came out on top against Thierry Neuville, who conceded a few seconds after running his i20 wide.
Tänak’s pace was good enough to secure fourth, with Neuville 5.0sec off the pace in fifth and Takamoto Katsuta completing the top six. The Japanese driver was a further 0.6sec back, despite briefly stalling his Yaris’ engine.
The LEGENDARY Safari Rally is back! 🇰🇪
— Mobil 1 The Grid (@Mobil1TheGrid) June 24, 2021
It's been 19 years since the last @OfficialWRC stage was held there, but today it returns to plains of Africa.
So here is a small #Throwback to the the iconic images of @TGR_WRC from the 80's and 90's 🤩#SafariRallyKenya #ToyotaWRC #WRC pic.twitter.com/F1Q9PO9xuG
The stage followed a colourful opening ceremony in central Nairobi, with competitors flagged away by Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and the cabinet secretary for sports, culture and heritage, Amina Mohamed.
#WRCSafariRally END OF DAY 1END OF DAY 1-KASARANI SSS (4.8KM)
1 #1 (FRA) S. OGIER / J. INGRASSIA (Yaris WRC) 3:21.5
2 #69 (FIN) K. ROVANPERÄ / J. HALTTUNEN (Yaris WRC) 3:21.8
3 #33 (GBR) E. EVANS / S. MARTIN (Yaris WRC) 3:22.2
4 #8 (EST) O. TÄNAK / M. JÄRVEOJA ( i20 Coupé WRC)3:24.0
5 #11 (BEL) T. NEUVILLE / M. WYDAEGHE (i20 Coupé WRC) 3:26.5
6 #18 (JPN) T. KATSUTA /(GBR) D. BARRITT (Yaris WRC) 3:27.1
7 #44 (GBR) G. GREENSMITH /(IRL) C. PATTERSON (Fiesta WRC) 3:27.6
8 #2 (SWE) O. SOLBERG/( IRL) A. JOHNSTON (i20 Coupé WRC) 3:29.4
9 #37 (ITA) L. BERTELLI / S. SCATTOLIN (Fiesta WRC) 3:30.5
10 #16 (FRA) A. FOURMAUX /(BEL) R. JAMOUL (Fiesta WRC M) 3:31.1
11 #6 (ESP) D. SORDO / B. ROZADA (i20 Coupé WRC) 3:32.0
12 #23 (CZE) M. PROKOP / Z. JURKA (Fiesta Mk II ) 3:39.6
13 #27 (KEN) K. PATEL / T. KHAN ( Fiesta WRC3) 3:42.6 +
14 #25 (KEN) C. TUNDO / T. JESSOP (Polo Gti WRC3) 3:43.0
15 #29 (POL) D. CHWIST / K. HELLER (Fiesta MK II WRC3) 3:43.4
16 #26 (KEN) T. RAI/( ZWE) G. DAWE (Polo Gti WRC3 ) 3:46.0
17 #24 (KEN) O. RAI/( GBR) D. STURROCK Polo Gti WRC3 RC2 3:46.1 +0.1 +24.6
18 #31 (KEN) B. CHAGER / R. SONI (Lancer Evo X) 3:49.4
19 #30 (KEN) A. RAI GBR G. PANESAR (Fabia Evo) 3:53.0 +3.6 +31.5
20 #40 (KEN) D. CHATTHE /(ZAF) H. FOURIE (Lancer Evo X )3:53.0 +31.5
21 #46 (UGA) Y. NASSER / A. KATUMBA (Impreza)3:55.7
22 #32 (KEN) E. BENGI / P. MUTUMA (Lancer Evo X) 3:57.3
23 #48 (KEN) H. ANWAR / R. ISMAIL (Fiesta ST Rally3)RC3 4:02.1
24 #43 (KEN) P. CANOBBIO /(ITA) A. MARCON (Lancer Evo X) 4:03.5
25 #39 (KEN) J. CHANA / R. CHANA Lancer Evo X None NAT 4:05.8
26 #49 (KEN) M. KIMATHI / M. KIONI (Fiesta ST Rally3) 4:07.9
27 #34 (KEN) R. BHARIJ KEN J. GHATAURE (Lancer Evo X) 4:08.2 28 #50 (KEN) E. KAVISI KEN A. ASWANI (Lancer Evo X) 4:12.6
29 #67 (KEN) R. SMITH / L. CLIFF (Fiesta ) 4:13.3
30 #52 (GBR) N. SACHANIA / D. PATEL (Lancer Evo ) 4:14.1 +0.8 +52.6
31 #47 (KEN) S. PUEE / A. DIN (Lancer Evo X) 4:14.4
32 #45 (KEN) P. PANDYA / F. BHOJAK Lancer Evo X None NAT 4:15.2 +0.8 +53.7
33 #57 (KEN) N. WAITA / T. MIONKI Lancer Evo X None NAT 4:18.9 +3.7 +57.4
34 #64 (KEN) J. WAHOME / V. OKUNDI Fiesta ST Rally3 None RC3 4:21.2 +2.3 +59.7
35 #36 (POL) S. ZASADA / T. BORYSLAWSKI Fiesta ST Rally3 None RC3 5:11.2 +50.0 +1:49.7
36 #51 (KEN) M. RATHOD / Z. SHAH Lancer Evo X None NAT 6:09.9 +58.7 +2:48.4
