Thierry Neuville led the standings after the first stage of Safari Rally Kenya in the FIA World Rally Championship. The Hyundai driver narrowly beat his teammate Ott Tänak by 0.1 seconds to secure the top spot. Reigning champion Kalle Rovanperä finished third, just 0.7 seconds behind Neuville. Neuville, who currently holds a three-point lead in the championship, is aware of the challenges that lie ahead in the rally and hopes to avoid any technical issues or mistakes. He feels well-prepared and confident in his car as the rally begins.
Takamoto Katsuta, driving a Toyota GR Yaris, posted the fourth-best time, trailing behind Rovanperä by only 0.9 seconds. Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi finished fifth. Elfyn Evans, currently in second place in the championship standings, came in sixth in his Toyota. Adrien Fourmaux, a young driver from M-Sport Ford Puma, closely followed Evans. Gus Greensmith set the pace in the WRC2 category, securing eighth place overall in a Škoda Fabia RS. Grégoire Munster and Oliver Solberg completed the top 10.
The rally will continue on Friday morning with six more stages. The most challenging stage of the day will be the 31.50km Kedong stage, which will be the final stage of both the morning and afternoon loops.