WRC Safari: Kalle leads Toyota quartet on final day

Kalle Rovanperä was in a class of his own on Saturday when he led Toyota Gazoo Racing teammates to top four positions on the penultimate day of the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally. 

The four begin the final day looking to bring the four cars back in the same positions as drivers tackle Oserian, Narasha and Hell's Gate stages twice. 

Rovanperä leads Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and last year's Safari champion Sebastien Ogier in the top four places with Hyundai's Thierry Neuville in fifth place. 

Despite winning only one stage at Elementeita 2, the 21-year-old Finn, Rovanperä led day three of the Kenyan fixture from start to finish. 

After checking into the last service at Naivasha's Wildlife Research and Training Institute, the "Flying Finn" candidly admitted that he was flabbergasted by the result. 

"I honestly don't know how I did it. The conditions were very tricky today especially on the second pass of Sleeping Warrior where the rains changed the dynamics of the competition," Rovanpera reflected. 

The son of rally legend Harri Rovanpera, second in the 2002 Safari in a Peugeot 206, holds a 40-second advantage over Toyota teammate Evans who maintained a steady run with two stage wins at S58 Soysambu 1 and its SS11 repeat run.

Japanese Katsuta is lying third, one minute, 25.6 seconds behind the leader while Ogier's stage win on the muddy Sleeping Warrior 2 saw him close the day in fourth position.

Toyota Gazoo Racing Principal Jarri-Mati Latvala revealed that there will be no team orders for his outfit on Safari. 

"We want to have a sort of discussion that we want to see all the four cars finish the event on Sunday. I think that it is an important message that we have to speak with the drivers to remain cautious," offered Latvala. 

Day four will culminate with the power stage at Hell's gate on where the fastest driver will score additional championship points.

Day Three leaderboard after 13 of 19 stages

1. Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 2:52:39.7

2. Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +40.3) 

3. Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1.25.6

4. Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2:38.3

5. Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 Rally1) +10:59.3

6. Oliver Solberg (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +12:19.1

7. Craig Breen (Ford Puma Rally1) +18:56.1

8. J. Serderidis (Ford Puma Rally1)+25:45.6

9. K. Kajetanowicz (Fabia Evo) +27:34.7

10. Sebastien Loeb (Ford Puma Rally1)+33:01.0 11. Ott Tänak (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +40:20.8

12. Amaanraj Singh Rai (Skoda Fabia Evo) +53:20.4

13. Evans Nzioka (Lancer Evo X) +54:46.1

14. Nikhil Sachania (Lancer Evo X) +1:07:58.2

15. Giancarlo Davite (Lancer Evo X) +1:16:31.5

16. Gus Greensmith (Ford Puma Rally1) +1:19:10,4

17. Adrien Fourmaux (Ford Puma Rally1) +1:19:29.8

18. Maxine Wahome (Ford Fiesta Rally3) +1:21:28.6

19. Hamza Anwar (Ford Fiesta Rally3) +1:36:23.7

20. Hamza Anwar (Ford Fiest Rally 3) +1:49:33.2

21. Jeremy Wahome (Ford Fiesta Rally3) +1:50:48.3