Takamoto Katsuta is on the verge of securing his maiden victory in the Safari Rally Kenya after a day of unprecedented attrition left the Japanese driver with a commanding 1 minute 25.5 seconds lead heading into Sunday’s finale. In a rally long celebrated for its brutality, Saturday’s leg delivered chaos on a scale rarely witnessed in the modern World Rally Championship era.
What began as a dominant 1-2-3 lockout for Toyota Gazoo Racing quickly unraveled during a punishing morning loop, opening the door for Katsuta to inherit a shock advantage that he carefully protected through a treacherous afternoon. Survival, rather than outright speed, became the name of the game as the iconic African rally dished out its usual dose of punishment.
The complexion of the rally changed dramatically on the notorious 31-kilometre Sleeping Warrior stage and the subsequent road section. Championship leader Elfyn Evans was the first major casualty, retiring mid-stage after suffering terminal rear-right suspension damage. Moments later, the rally was turned completely on its head during the liaison back to the Naivasha service park.
Rally leader Oliver Solberg, who had just navigated the deep mud of Sleeping Warrior virtually blind after running out of washer fluid, was forced out with an alternator failure. Team-mate Sébastien Ogier, who had been charging hard throughout the morning, suffered a similar mechanical failure on the same road section, wiping out the rally’s top three contenders in one fell swoop.
Those retirements unexpectedly promoted Katsuta into the overall lead. The Japanese driver had deliberately adopted a cautious, survival-first approach after suffering a double puncture on the Elmenteita test and completing the remainder of the morning loop without spare tyres. His calculated strategy ultimately paid off as he returned to service with a lead of more than a minute while several rivals limped back with battered machinery.
The afternoon proved equally unforgiving. Thierry Neuville, who had started the loop in second overall while battling overheating issues, saw his challenge collapse after suffering a triple puncture on the second pass of Soysambu with no spare tyres remaining. That misfortune handed second place to team-mate Adrien Fourmaux, who skillfully navigated the carnage. The Frenchman claimed a stage win and focused solely on protecting his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, ending the day 1m 25.5s behind the nervy Katsuta, who admitted he was trying to avoid “every single rock” to protect his chance of a breakthrough victory.
Young Finn Sami Pajari sits an impressive third overall despite suffering a dramatic high-speed tyre explosion on the Elmenteita stage that cost him over five minutes and caused significant bodywork damage. Pajari bounced back strongly later in the day by winning the afternoon repeat of the same stage, leapfrogging Esapekka Lappi into the final podium position. Lappi ended the day in fourth after nursing heavy understeer and a front-left puncture, admitting he was no longer concerned about positions and simply wanted to reach the finish.
It was also a difficult day for M-Sport Ford drivers. Jon Armstrong endured a torrid afternoon dealing with rising water temperatures and a front-right puncture, while team-mate Josh McErlean nursed a persistent engine problem. Both crews finished the day outside the top ten.
In the WRC2 category, Robert Virves managed his pace perfectly to end the day with a commanding 55.3-second class lead and an impressive fifth overall. Gus Greensmith holds second in class, while Fabrizio Zaldivar, Andreas Mikkelsen, Diego Domínguez and Daniel Chwist complete the provisional top ten.
Saturday’s action was eventually cut short when organisers cancelled the second pass of the Sleeping Warrior stage after heavy afternoon rains created deep water-filled ruts that made it impossible for rescue vehicles to safely access the stage.
Meanwhile, Team Uganda continues to soldier on as the rally heads into its final day. Oscar Ntambi and co-driver Asuman Mohammed remain the highest-placed Ugandan crew in their Mitsubishi Evo X, sitting 23rd overall despite being 1:38:20 behind the rally leader. Their focus remains firmly on reaching the finish of one of the world’s toughest rallies.
The second Ugandan crew, Duncan Mubiru Kikankane and co-driver Joseph Kamya have also endured a challenging rally. Their Subaru Impreza GVB continues to hold together despite several mishaps, placing them 30th overall with a total time of 4:45:10 after 16 stages.
Fellow Ugandans Yasin Nasser and Ali Katumba benefited from the restart rule after retiring earlier due to an overheating issue. After repairing the car overnight, the duo returned to the rally on Saturday morning and now sit 31st overall with a time of 4:46:00 as they gradually climb up the leaderboard.
In the African Rally Championship category, Kenya’s Karan Patel and co-driver Tauseef Khan have kept their Škoda Fabia on the road to comfortably lead the class. Fellow Kenyan Arif Virani currently holds second place but trails Patel by nearly ten minutes.
The rally will conclude on Sunday with four stages remaining, including the spectacular Hell’s Gate Power Stage, where crews will make a final do-or-die dash for crucial championship points. With the Safari Rally’s reputation for last-minute drama, nothing can be taken for granted until the final car crosses the finish line.
