WRC Safari: Ogier slowed down in Kedong after Kasarani win

As the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari got underway on Thursday with the official flag off at KICC and the first stage at Kasarani, fans came out in numbers to support the drivers. 

Kasarani Special Super Stage (SSS) marked the start of the event that will revolve around the lakeside town of Naivasha over the next three days.

The top Kenyan driver after the first stage of the event is Karan Patel who returned his Ford Fiesta Rally2 to 16th overall.

Five- times Africa Rally Championship (ARC) Safari Rally winner Carl "Flash" Tundo was the second placed Kenyan driver in 20" position.

"I came back for the people." Those were the emotional words of eight-times world rally champion Sebastien Ogier, shortly after grabbing the overnight lead on day one of the Safari. 

The GR Yaris driver edged Hyundai Motorsport's Thierry Neuville to claim the opening Kasarani SSS speed test before an enthusiastic crowd of petrol heads.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing speedster beat Neuville by 0.6 seconds as Ott Tanak of Hyundai came in third, 1.1 behind the leader,

It was a bad day in the office for series leader and shakedown winner Kalle Rovanperä who could only manage a disappointing 11th fastest time.

The 21-year-old ran wide on the first left-hand bend and almost rolled his GR Yaris, He was lucky to continue, but the excursion caused a right rear puncture which cost 11.6 seconds,

Ogier's result was a repeat of last year's event where the Frenchman beat Kalle on the opening test at the same venue.

His sublime drive through the 4.84 km head-to-head gravel stage treated spectators to some exhilarating displays of hybrid-powered contraptions first used during the season-opening Rallye Monte

"It was very colourful here and the people in this country give us amazing support. The opener followed a colourful start ceremony in Nairobi which was quite exciting for a start," said Ogier.

"But the challenge is going to be big, it is going to be really rough in Naivasha, but we will try to survive it," he added.

After Loldia and Geothermal stages in the morning of the second day, Ogier is still in the lead with Elfyn Evans in second place 0.9 seconds behind. The third stage is the 31.25 km Medong stage. 

"There is alot of rocks everywhere. I did not expect so many rocks on this one. It looked a bit more clean in the recce," said Ogier after the Geothermal stage. 

Rovanperä on his part says the stages would have been quite nice if he did not have to go first. "It is really fast and flowing, but being first car is horrible. There is so much loose gravel and even on the straights the car is moving a lot.