WRC Safari: Rovanperä conquers Safari Rally for fourth championship

Kalle Rovanperä is the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally winner. 

A dominant performance in the four-day race and an assured drive in the finale won the 21- year old the title to improve his FIA WRC Championship titles hopes. 

Maxine Wahome, who started the day six stages away from a maiden WRC3 victory, carrying a hefty 14min 55sec advantage, returned the car safely to clinch the title. 

Rai Amanraaj finished as the top placed Kenyan driver in 12th place overall. Driving a scoda Fabia Rally2 car Amanraaj was one hour :04:51.5 minutes adrift of the winner Rovanperä. 

"It feels great! I have to say, this was the hardest rally I have ever done and to be honest we just have to thank the team.

To have four cars like this with no issues; it is clearly the strongest and fastest car. The team did a fantastic job," said an elated Rovanperä after victory. 

Rovanperä arrived in Kenya with a commanding points lead and played down his glory hopes, instead starting with the mindset that any points from the championship’s roughest encounter would be a bonus. 

But the Finn’s ‘bring it home’ mindset soon went out of the window on Friday afternoon when he seized top spot from GR Yaris team-mate Sébastien Ogier, who stopped to change a wheel in the final test. 

Despite feeling unwell, Rovanperä strengthened his position on Saturday and thrived in waterlogged conditions as downpours derailed many of his rivals’ hopes.

The sizeable 40.3sec margin he carried into Sunday’s finale was extended further by another two fastest times and the youngster ended the bruising four-day fixture 52.8sec clear of Elfyn Evans to head up the Yaris quartet.

He now leads the championship by 65 points with seven rounds remaining, while Toyota extended its manufacturers’ series lead by 62 points.

The championship returns to Europe when Rally Estonia scheduled for 14 to-17 July kicks-off the second half of the season.

Additional information by WRC.com