By FRANK KAHEESI & S.MBABAZI – ELEMENTAITA
Toyota Gazoo Racing team is headed for yet another Safari Rally podium seal fate of 1-2-3. Today’s repeated stages present a final hurdle, with Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta aiming to secure a top-three finish against Ford’s Adrian Fourmax.
Now considered Africa’s best perfoming car, Toyota seem to have mastered the Safari Rally gravel surface unlike other teams.
Though they had a late vehicle assembling of their lethal machines at service, due to late arrival of their equipment, they seem to have picked the right suspension to attach in the unforgiving gruesome Safari rally routes.
This dominance echoes their remarkable achievement at last year’s WRC Safari Rally, where they secured all top four positions (1-2-3-4).
Driver Quotes:
Kalle Rovanperä:
“Today has been all about managing our rally lead and I think we did a fine job with it. It’s been really tricky and rough out there.L ots of going around rocks and trying to avoid any unnecessary risks.”
“Our lead heading in to the final day is over 2 minutes and 8 seconds, but still a long day to go tomorrow (Sunday) and it’s Safari so this is far from over!”
Gregoire Munster:
“Kenya got us this morning. On the first stage of the loop we broke the rear-left suspension after hitting a rock hiding in a bush, the day is over for us.”
“We’re obviously disappointed for ourselves and for the team but we’ll be back tomorrow to take a little more experience on such complicated conditions.”
Munster returns to action on Sunday, with the sweeping roles as car number one on the road.
Sunday’s finale features three stages of Malewa (8.33km), Oserengoni (18.33km) and Hell’s Gate (10.5km) – each run twice, covering both sides of Lake Naivasha.
Uganda’s representatives, Yasin Nasser and Ally Katumba of MOIL Rally Team, rolled their Ford Fiesta MKII, at the fesh fesh section of day two’s last stage of Kedong to crash out of the 2024 WRC Safari Rally
Courtesy Photos
