Kenya Safari Rally (WRC) - 20-23 Mar 25

McErlean/Treacy aims to be "smart" at gruelling Safari Rally Kenya

Posted: March 18, 2025 4:12 PM

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Josh McErlean aims to continue his impressive run of form in the FIA World Rally Championship [WRC] next week as he tackles the toughest rally on the calendar, Safari Rally Kenya (20-23 March).

With two rounds complete in McErlean’s debut season in Rally1 machinery with the M-Sport Ford team, the 25-year-old Kilrea driver has shown spectacular adaptability to his new surroundings and life in the topflight, building pace and exceeding expectations in both rounds this season.

McErlean, with co-driver Eoin Treacy, debuted in the Ford Puma Rally1 at the notorious Rallye Monte Carlo in January. Taking each stage step-by-step, they finished seventh overall among the world's best, providing a strong start to the new term.

The snowbanks of Rally Sweden in February offered another insight into McErlean’s natural ability, ling ahead of many more experience rivals before being sucked into the snow on the final morning, recovering to take an all-important finish.

But now, he heads for the unique challenge of the Safari Rally in the heart of the Kenyan plains. He faces tough terrain, including large rocks, water crossings, and a distinctive sand-like substance known as fesh-fesh, which can immobilise even Rally1 vehicles. Crews also encounter wildlife, including giraffes and zebras, which contributes to the demanding schedule and endurance aspect.

“I’ve said it about every rally so far this year, but this event is so unique, it’s hard to fully know what to expect, really”, he says.

“I’d say until we get to somewhere like the Canaries or Portugal, the start of the WRC calendar is extremely specialist, where knowledge of the stages and event can be a huge advantage. So, we are playing catch-up in terms of that, but to be driving a Puma Rally1 on Safari Rally is a dream. It’s an iconic rally, and the challenge that it offers is like nothing else. I’m certainly ready to take it on”.

“We have seen some encouraging pace on the first two events, so it will be all about building on that and seeing how we can increase our speed over the whole weekend. This is certainly not a sprint event, so being smart could well reap some big rewards”.

But McErlean heads to Kenya for the second time in his career, albeit in a much different role.

“Thanks to John Coyne [Patron of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy], I was lucky to do the Classic Safari Rally a few years ago in a Porsche, with Eoin alongside too. It was hard going, but just knowing the kind of things to expect will help with the prep. We have been working very hard behind the scenes since Sweden, so let’s hope we can put it all into practice in Kenya”.

The Safari Rally Kenya gets underway on Wednesday [19 March] with Shakedown before just two special stages the following day. Friday is the longest day with 157km of competitive action, whilst Sunday takes the total to 21 tests and 383km of special stages.

McErlean is backed by Woodland NI, Admore Air Conditioning, SDC Trailers, Hutchinson Engineering, McCormack Contracting Inc, Fastener Connections, Shamrock Building Systems and EC Framing Inc.

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team - ADVENTURE AWAITS AT SAFARI RALLY KENYA

Posted: March 18, 2025 4:10 PM

As the FIA World Rally Championship turns to gravel, adventure awaits the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team at Safari Rally Kenya. Famed as one of the toughest and most unpredictable events on the calendar, Grégoire Munster, Josh McErlean and Jourdan Serderidis will be looking to tame what is arguably the most demanding rally of the year.

Challenging crews and teams alike with rough terrain and an ever-present threat of rain, Safari Rally Kenya is an event like no other. Rocky roads and deep ruts demand extra vigilance, and should the heavens open sandy tracks become treacherously muddy.

As well as carrying extra spares, the Ford Puma Rally1s are also modified to contend with the demanding nature of the Kenyan stages – extra protection, exaggerated ride height and a specialised air intake, or ‘snorkel,’ giving the competition cars an exclusive look for this unique event.

Reviving the spirit of classic endurance rallies, fresh challenges await this year’s competitors as new routes are combined with iconic stages; and the Puma trio will all be hoping to draw inspiration from the late, great, Colin McRae who last took the Blue Oval to a Kenyan victory in 2002, and who’s 1999 Safari-winning Focus still sits proudly on display at Dovenby Hall.

And it’s at Dovenby Hall where the crews prepared for the challenge ahead – all three completing a full day of testing in the Cumbrian forests before journeying to Kenya and the beautiful Lake Naivasha National Park.

Having made their Kenyan Rally1 debut last year, Munster and co-driver Louis Louka will be looking to harness that experience with a positive performance next week. Having gained a wealth of knowledge and proved his pace with some impressive times of late, the Luxembourg driver will be looking to bring it all together in a strong showing next week.

Speaking of strong showings, Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy did just that when they made their Rally Sweden debut last month, but tackling the notorious Kenyan stages for the very first time in Rally1 machinery will be a true baptism of fire. Tasked with gaining as much experience as possible, the pairing looks forward to the challenge and is keen to showcase an improving performance throughout the event.

Safari Rally Kenya is a special event for all drivers, but perhaps even more so for Jourdan Serderidis who secured his best WRC performance of seventh overall at the event in 2022. Reunited with experienced co-driver Frédéric Miclotte, the pairing will be eager for another thrilling outing at one of the Greek driver’s favourite events.

Richard Millener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Principal, said: “Kenya is always one of the most exciting, yet extreme, events on the calendar. It’s where big opportunities exist for good results. All our drivers know this, and will approach the event with speed but also sense, as you have to attack the Safari Rally in a very different way to other events. The weather and terrain will make it as tricky as ever but I’m looking forward to the challenge, as well as getting back to this beautiful country!”

Grégoire Munster said:
“I’m really looking forward to Safari Rally Kenya, it’s probably my favourite event on the calendar, just because you experience things there that you don’t see anywhere else - not only with the wildlife but also with the tricky conditions. The heavy rain can be really intense, and the terrain is always changing so you have to pick a small track in the middle of tall grass fields which really adds to the character of the event.

“I’m really looking forward to the challenge, I think we are well prepared with the team and we had a good pre-event test in Greystoke earlier this week, so we just want to do well in Kenya and get a strong result.”

Josh McErlean said:
“This iconic event pushes drivers, co-drivers, and machines to their absolute limits, and I'm excited to take on its demanding terrain. The guys and girls at M-Sport have worked hard to prepare the cars into Safari spec, it’s pretty cool seeing the snorkel on the car. Both myself and Eoin are ready to face this adventure and whatever it throws our way.”

Jourdan Serderidis said:
“Kenya is where I have delivered my best results in WRC, with seventh in 2022 and ninth last year. I can’t wait to do it once again and to do my best to enter the top ten again! I know it is a tough rally and that we need to have a perfect run through the stages, and we also want to show our improvements that we have seen during the pre-event test.”

African epic marks milestone rally for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

Posted: March 18, 2025 4:04 PM

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team aims to defend its unbeaten record on the iconic Safari Rally Kenya when it contests its 100th event in the FIA World Rally Championship on March 20-23.

The team reaches a century of rallies since its debut in 2017 having made a perfect start to the defence of its manufacturers’ championship title, scoring a one-two finish and maximum points from each of the first two rallies in Monte Carlo and Sweden. It represents the best start to a WRC season by a manufacturer in the modern era.

Elfyn Evans travels to the only African round of the championship leading the drivers’ standings following an excellent victory on the snow of Sweden. He was involved in thrilling duel to the finish with team-mate Takamoto Katsuta, for whom Kenya has been a happy hunting ground with three previous podium finishes. Kalle Rovanperä, currently the closest full-season challenger to Evans in the points, also has a strong record on the Safari with wins in 2022 and 2024. Sami Pajari, on the other hand, will be taking on the event for the first time in his TGR-WRT2 entry.

TGR-WRT itself has a proud history on the Safari, winning all four editions held since the event returned to the calendar in 2021 and extending Toyota’s record tally of victories to 12. This year’s running marks 40 years since Juha Kankkunen scored his first ever WRC win on the very same event driving the Toyota Celica Twincam Turbo, and will be the four-time world champion’s first time leading the team on the ground in his new role as Deputy Team Principal.

The Safari Rally continues to provide a unique challenge for WRC teams and drivers, with some sections that are extremely rough and rocky, while others consisting of soft sand can be just as hard to negotiate. Rain has the potential to turn the usually dry and dusty tracks into mud, with teams able to fit snorkel systems to help cars navigate deep water or soft sand and prevent engines being starved of air.

The route has been expanded this year to make this the longest WRC round for many years, at 384.86 competitive kilometres. As usual, the rally begins from the Kenyan capital city Nairobi on Thursday lunchtime, with the nearby Kasarani super special serving as the first stage. This will be followed by a new stage, Mzabibu, close to the service park in Naivasha. Another new stage, Camp Moran – the longest of the rally at 32.2 km – begins a loop of four stages run twice on Friday, while Saturday takes crews north to Lake Elmenteita for a trio of repeated tests. Mzabibu is revisited as the first of five stages on Sunday, when Hell’s Gate hosts the rally-ending Power Stage.

The GR Yaris Rally2 will compete on African soil for the first time, with four customer entries among the leading six crews on the WRC2 entry list. Oliver Solberg of Printsport is the joint championship leader following a home win in Sweden, and is joined by the Teo Martín Motorsport duo of Spain’s Jan Solans and Paraguay’s Diego Domínguez, as well as Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz, the three-time European champion making his GR Yaris Rally2 debut with the Rallylab Technology team.

Quotes:

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“The Safari Rally is always a special event for our team, and this year’s edition has extra significance as our 100th WRC rally since we started in 2017. Of course, we hope we can mark this milestone with another great result, but we know that this rally is never predictable. The route is even longer now, and at this time of year there’s a strong chance of rain, which can make the stages extremely slippery. This will also be the first gravel rally with this year’s revised technical rules and the new Hankook tyres, so there will again be some adapting for everyone to do, especially as it’s not possible to test outside of Europe. Elfyn, Kalle and Takamoto have all been strong in Kenya before, while Sami’s first Safari will be all about learning. They can all count on the knowledge of Juha Kankkunen, who will be taking over my duties on the ground for the first time. With his experience on this event, I know that the team is in very good hands and I will be following our progress closely.”

Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin
Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“It’s been a good start to the year for us and we can be happy with how well the first two events have gone, but now the focus moves to gravel, where the learning starts again with another new tyre. While not representative of the roads in Kenya, our test last week was good familiarisation with this year’s specification of car on gravel and with the tyres. The Safari is a unique rally with a special set of conditions to face: it’s not easy even if it’s dry, but when you add the likelihood of rain and standing water, it can be a huge challenge just to get to the end. This has been an amazing rally for the team over recent years and while it’s not perhaps been my strongest event personally, we want to aim as high as possible and challenge for the win if it’s possible.”

Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen
Kalle Rovanperä (Driver car 69)
“It has not been the easiest start to our season, but we’re not too far from the fight and now we move onto gravel, it’s a new chance to push harder and try to get back to where we want to be. The team has been really strong so far, and we just need to put all the pieces together on our end so that we can be on the same pace. The test last week was really important to try some different things and to find a good feeling with the car and tyres on gravel. The Safari is definitely one of the most special rallies in the season. It’s always really cool to go there and we’ll try to do another good result, as we really need that this year. It’s a hard rally to predict but we’ll try to push really hard and do our best.”

Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston
Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“Sweden was a nice rally for me, where I was able to show speed and finish with a strong result, and this gives me a good feeling for Kenya. The Safari is a special rally for me, and the team has been very strong there every year. They always prepare the car well and reliability has been our key strength. This year could be more challenging with the greater distance and new stages, so we need to prepare the pacenotes well during recce. We also have to find the best way to drive with this year’s car and tyres, but the feeling was quite good in our test. We always have a lot of support in Kenya and I will try of course to finish on the podium again, but anything can happen there and we need to prepare and manage it well.”

Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen
Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)
“The season has started with some very specific rallies, so it’s not been easy, but so far we have done some nice stage times and had many positive moments, and hopefully it can continue like this in Kenya. I was there for the recce last year so I know a little bit what the roads are like, but it’s still going to be a huge challenge. The team has been really good there over the past few years, so I can expect the car to be strong, but I’m focused on my own performance as well. The target is just to gain as much experience as we can, but we’re also there to do our best and in a rally like this, anything can happen. It will be tough but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 3 – Safari Rally Kenya

Posted: March 18, 2025 4:02 PM

Following a challenging start to the year, Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team is focused on delivering a podium finish with a strong performance at the third round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season, Safari Rally Kenya.

This notoriously challenging event is a gravel rally like no other. The breathtaking landscape of the African plains is juxtaposed with the ever-present risk of damage or retirement. Whether it be the fesh fesh sand, enormous rocks and deep ruts, or huge pools of water, crews are constantly on a knife’s edge as they navigate this most enduring outing. Weather can also change in an instant – as can the fortunes of the competing crews.

Adrien Fourmaux will be looking to replicate his fantastic finish from last year, while Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville will aim to utilise their extensive experience of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car to balance risk and reward. Both drivers have been competitive in previous visits to Kenya: Tänak scored Hyundai Motorsport’s sole podium at the event in 2021, which had been led by Neuville until a heart-breaking retirement on the final day.

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team is focused on a strong recovery drive in Naivasha to gain momentum in the championship fight. As this is a rally where a strong car will be a key factor in a podium finish, the team decided that the latest 2024-spec Hyundai i20 N Rally1, with its upgraded reliability and proven robustness, would offer the best advantage to score maximum points at this event.

The 2025 edition of Safari Rally Kenya will cover 383.10km over four days of competition. Several iconic stages remain on the itinerary, such as Sleeping Warrior (SS11/14, 26.97km), Soysambu (SS13/16, 28.97) and Hell’s Gate (SS18/21, 10.53km). Alongside these staples are Camp Moran (SS3/7, 31.40km), now the longest stage of the event, and Mzabibu (SS2/17, 8.27km), which will appear on the first and last day of the rally.

Competition begins on Thursday afternoon with two tests, followed by a bumper Friday with an extended itinerary of eight stages – an extra 30km of competitive distance compared to 2024. Saturday’s itinerary is unchanged from 12 months ago, while Sunday’s five-stage itinerary has had a small refresh.

Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said:
“Our goal for Safari Rally Kenya is clear and simple: we need to have a strong weekend to build momentum in the championship fight. We haven’t had the easiest start to this season, but we feel confident we can begin to close the gap in the standings beginning with Kenya. We then have a run of gravel events, where we know we are strong, but Kenya is a test of reliability and stability, as well as of survival. It is a rally of attrition, so even though we may face setbacks during the weekend, there is always the chance of a great result so it is important to never give up. We are focused, determined and calm – ready to meet the challenges that Safari Rally Kenya will throw at us.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#1 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Crew looking to replicate Sweden podium finish
Belgians aim to build on pace shown at the two opening rounds of the season

Neuville said: “Safari Rally Kenya is very different from any other rally. Despite being rough like Greece, Kenya’s conditions, weather and surface can change very quickly. It's rainy season over there, so if there’s precipitation, it's very demanding both for the cars and for our visibility. The roughness of the terrain changes year on year; in addition to that, there are a couple of new stages as well as others that are run in the opposite direction to last time. Nevertheless, we need to have a clever drive. Taking care of the car and staying away from trouble will be key to that. Obviously, you need a bit of luck, but hopefully it's going to work this year. While we expected more from Monte Carlo, the pace was definitely there, and that was shown in our performance in Sweden. We want to take it one step further in Kenya and finish on the podium steps.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Estonians claimed Hyundai Motorsport’s only Safari podium in 2021
Experienced duo look to target a win at the WRC’s most momentous challenge

Tänak said: “Safari Rally Kenya is the most testing rally we have on the calendar. Generally, the roads are very demanding and rough, but super fast at the same time. As we discovered last year, stones can appear from anywhere, so it’s a rally where we need to expect everything. The key is to find the perfect balance of risk and reward, but it is never easy. We need trust in our car to be reliable so we could push ourselves, as well as the places in the rough sections where we can carry as much speed as possible. The speeds are high and often we are competing on open sections where there is not much around us other than zebras and giraffes. This makes it quite tricky to perfect the pacenotes. We want to leave Kenya having had a trouble-free event and with a big trophy.”

Crew Notes: Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (#16 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Frenchmen target a renewal of their 2024 podium finish
Crew’s gravel results put them in good stead for first contention on the surface of 2025

Fourmaux said: “Finishing on the podium in Kenya last year, I learned that it's a very different rally than the others: it's all about endurance and managing both the car and the tyres. It’s a really long event and it’s very rough, so the fastest crew is not guaranteed to be on top every time – we need to be smart to get to the end. This is now my third different surface in three events with a new team, which is great as I can learn quickly the car in all the type of conditions. The car is prepared differently for Kenya: the suspension is really high to protect the car as much as possible, as well as us as a crew. My goal for the weekend would be to return to the podium, but I know it's a big challenge. Anything can happen, so we will do our best to get the best result.”

Weekend at a Glance
Two short stages signal the start of Safari Rally Kenya on Thursday: Super Special Kasarani (SSS1, 4.76km) and Mzabibu (SS2/17, 8.27km)
The longest day of the event is Friday, which features eight stages covering a distance of 157.58km, split by mid-day service
A familiar Saturday sees two loops of some of the most challenging stages of the season: Sleeping Warrior, Elmenteita and Soysambu
Five stages totalling 65.99km complete the final day of competition on Sunday, with the iconic Hell’s Gate (SS18/21, 10.53km) acting as the weekend’s Power Stage.

Entry List

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Kenya Safari Rally (WRC) - 20-23 Mar 25 - ENTRY LIST

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