The 2024 FIA World Rally Championship’s third round, the Safari Rally, took place from the 27th to the 31st of March, 2024. Kalle Rovanpera emerged as the leader after Saturday’s 160km of intense racing in Kenya. The positions behind him were constantly changing as the challenging African stages took their toll on the competitors.
Immediately after the service break, the second loop of the race began, and more drama unfolded. In Stage 11, after the lunchtime service, Neuville experienced a fuel system issue and had to stop at km 24. Although he managed to get going again, he had to complete the stage in EV mode and lost 2 minutes and 38 seconds to the leaders. This setback caused him to drop from second to fifth place overall.
Tanak also faced problems as a loose window filled his car’s cabin with dust, resulting in a loss of nine seconds. Fourmaux’s steady performance allowed him to secure third place, with a 45-second lead over Evans.
The next stage, SS12, brought more troubles for the championship leader. He lost a staggering 7 minutes and 12 seconds, and in the final stage of the day, he lost another minute. It was a disastrous day for the Hyundai team.
Despite a left front puncture, Evans managed to win Stage 12, finishing one second ahead of Tanak. Lappi encountered difficulties in Sleeping Warrior 2, as his windscreen became opaque after hitting two large birds. He lost over 10 minutes in the stage, frequently pulling over to let his competitors pass without obstruction.
Fourmaux experienced a slow puncture that eventually led to the explosion of his tire, causing damage to the rear bodywork of his Puma. Evans also suffered another puncture and had to change his left rear tire with only four kilometers remaining in the stage. As a result, Evans fell behind Fourmaux by over two minutes.
With a comfortable lead of 2 minutes and 17 seconds, Rovanpera took a more relaxed approach. He reported that he had no hybrid power throughout the entire stage but only dropped 8.6 seconds.
Saturday’s stages saw five different winners, with Katsuta taking two wins and Evans, Rovanpera, and Tanak each securing one victory. With a lead of over three minutes, Gus Greensmith could afford to be cautious. Oliver Solberg quickly rose to second place overall and engaged in a fierce battle with the flu-stricken Greensmith. Solberg won four stages, reducing Greensmith’s lead to 1 minute and 55 seconds.