WRC – Safari Challenge in store as the FIA World Rally Championship heads to Africa

The FIA World Rally Championship stars and their cars will swap the ice and snow of sub-zero Sweden for the stunning Kenyan savanna when Safari Rally Kenya hosts round three of the 2025 season from March 19-23.

Iconic, spectacular, demanding and unpredictable in equal measure, Safari Rally Kenya occupies a late March slot for the second season running, having     taken place in June upon its return to the championship in 2021 following a 19-year absence.

Although it’s classified as a gravel event, heavy rain is a constant menace and can quickly transform predominantly low-grip clay roads and fesh-fesh tracks into mud baths, while also exposing unforgiving rocks. Water crossings and high ambient temperatures add to the Safari Rally Kenya challenge with crews often switching from attack to car-preservation mode.

Based in the lakeside town of Naivasha, a 90-kilometre journey north of the capital Nairobi, Safari Rally Kenya also counts as a round of the Kenyan National Rally Championship and the FIA African Rally Championship, thereby providing an opportunity for local drivers and their teams to showcase their ability and expand their experience.

In line with the FIA’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity, 31 per cent of senior Safari Rally Kenya positions are held by women compared to six per cent in 2024. In addition to the event organising team, Germany’s Tanja Geilhausen chairs the all-female panel of Stewards, supported by FIA Steward Alice Scutellà from Italy and ASN Steward Tuta Mionki, while Yvonne Gilli continues her long-standing duty as Secretary to the Stewards as the Italian will be working at her 368th WRC event in Kenya.

FIA Vice-President for Sport in Africa Rodrigo Rocha and in Europe, Anna Nordkvist, will be in attendance, representing the leadership team at the event. 

TALKING TYRES

Hankook Tire, the FIA WRC’s new official tyre supplier for 2025, is equipping all four-wheel-drive cars contesting Safari Rally Kenya with its Dynapro R213 WRC3 tyre as the first choice and the Dynapro R213 WRC7 as the option. Including Shakedown, teams can use a maximum of 28 tyres for the entire event.

THE ROUTE IN SHORT

Following Shakedown at its new Sleeping Warrior setting on Wednesday March 19, Safari Rally Kenya relocates from Naivasha to Nairobi for the traditional start ceremony – which is returning to Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Convention Centre – and opening superspecial stage on Thursday March 20. In a change to the itinerary for 2025, the new 8.27-kilometre Mzabibu test follows Super Special Kasarani, run in reverse compared to last season, prior to the overnight halt in Naivasha. 

Friday’s route begins with the new 31.40 kilometres of Camp Moran – the longest of the rally – from 07:28 hrs local time and is followed by the shortened and reverse-direction Loldia stage, Geothermal and Kedong, which, at 15.10 kilometres is more than half its length compared to 2024. The morning stages are repeated in the afternoon following service in Naivasha for a day total of 157.58 competitive kilometres. 

Leg two on Saturday March 22 covers 146.50 kilometres against the clock and is based around Lake Elmenteita north of Naivasha. In a tweak for 2025, a shorter Sleeping Warrior is up first from 08:41 hrs and with a longer Elmenteita stage next. Soysambu, which opened the leg two action 12 months ago, completes the morning loop with all three stages repeated in the afternoon following service. Elmenteita and Soysambu are run in an opposite direction compared to last season.

A repeat of Thursday’s Mzabibu run followed by the first of two visits to Oserengoni and Hell’s Gate provide the early morning challenge on Sunday March 23. After a service break in Naivasha, Oserengoni and Hell’s Gate are repeated with the second pass of Hell’s Gate forming the event-deciding Wolf Power Stage from 14:15 hrs.

SAFARI RALLY KENYA DATA

Stage distance: 383.10 km
Total distance: 1381.92 km
Number of stages: 21

RALLY1 CONTENDERS

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team
Defending champion Thierry Neuville scored his first podium of the year with third place on Rally Sweden last month aboard the upgraded Hyundai i20N Rally1. The Belgian has been unable to better fifth place on Safari Rally Kenya, an event where team-mates Estonian Ott Tänak and Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux have both reached the bottom step of the podium on previous visits.

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
Luxembourger Grégoire Munster embarks on his second full season at Rally1 level. Josh McErlean, a product of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, pilots the second Ford Puma Rally1 having stepped up from FIA WRC2. Greek Jourdan Serderidis makes his second appearance of the season in the team’s third entry.

Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team
Elfyn Evans, the provisional FIA World Rally Championship leader after winning Rally Sweden, heads the four-strong Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 line-up, which also includes two-time FIA WRC champion Kalle Rovanperä – last year’s event winner – and his fellow Finn Sami Pajari, a Safari Rally Kenya rookie. Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta, who finished runner-up to Evans in Sweden, has banked three Safari podiums in four attempts.

SUPPORTING CATEGORIES

Sweden’s Oliver Solberg heads the 16-car FIA WRC2 entry on the back of winning the category on his home event. Solberg has joined Kajetan Kajetanowicz in switching to a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 for 2025 with the three-time winner of the FIA European Rally Championship from Poland going for a hat-trick of class wins on Safari Rally Kenya.

Gus Greensmith won FIA WRC2 in Kenya last season and returns in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, while Kenya’s Hamza Anwar makes his FIA WRC2 debut after graduating from FIA WRC3. 

Former African and Kenya champions Karan Patel and Carl Tundo are among the locally-based drivers in action with Tundo eligible for the FIA WRC Masters’ Cup.

While Jan Solans is preparing for his Safari Rally Kenya debut, Diego Domínguez has started the event three times. Like Solans, Domínguez competes in a GR Yaris Rally2.

Fabrizio Zaldivar continues his FIA WRC2 campaign fresh from starting his FIA CODASUR title defence with third place in his native Paraguay recently.

FIA WRC3 category honours are set to be between Kenyan Nikhil Sachania, who is paraplegic, and India’s Naveen Pulligilla.

One of the leading non-priority competitors is Kenyan teenager Tinashe Gatimu, who will be co-driven by her mother Caroline Gatimu.

THE SEASON AHEAD

Follow this link to view the FIA World Rally Championship event schedule or 2025.

MEDIA INFORMATION

Media accreditation

Media accreditation must be collected in person by accredited pass holders from the Accreditation Desk, located at the Media Centre, Safari Rally Service Park in Naivasha (location: Wildlife Research and Training Institute, 7F52+47R, Biashara Nakuru Town East, Karagita). Google link: https://goo.gl/maps/9oytvE2cnc3qu7U87

The Accreditation Desk is open as follows:

Sun. 16 March: 13:00 – 17:00 (KICC Reception Desk, Nairobi)*

Mon. 17 March: 09:00 – 18:30

Tue. 18 March: 09:00 – 18:30

Wed. 19 March: 07:00 – 19:00

Thu. 20 March: 08:00 – 19:00

Fri. 21 March: Upon request only

*Media accreditation for national media and the reconnaissance is available from the Reception Desk at KICC, Nairobi from 13:00 – 17:00 hrs on Sunday March 16 (no tabard or tabard media stickers are handed out).

Media Centre

The Media Centre is located at the Safari Rally Service Park in Naivasha (location: Wildlife Research and Training Institute, 7F52+47R, Biashara Nakuru Town East, Karagita).

The following opening hours apply:
Tue. 18 March: 14:00 – 19:00 hrs
Wed. 19 March: 07:00 – 20:00 hrs
Thu. 20 March: 08:00 – 20:00 hrs
Fri. 21 March: 06:00 – 20:00 hrs
Sat. 22 March: 07:00 – 21:30 hrs
Sun. 23 March: 06:00 – 20:00 hrs

Media activities and opportunities 

Media zones

Media Zones attended by all drivers and selected team representatives will operate as follows: 
TC2A, TC6A, TC10A, TC13A, TC16A, TC18A, TC21A (Hell’s Gate pre-podium holding area) and TC21C (after the crews have checked into the final parc fermé).

FIA Post-event Press Conference, Hell’s Gate (Sunday 23 March, 15:45)

Top 3 drivers in overall classification, winning codriver and rep. of the winning manufacturer
Winning FIA WRC2, WRC2 Challenger, WRC3, Masters Cup drivers

The FIA post-event press conference will be broadcast on FIA and WRC social media channels.

SAFARI RALLY KENYA MANUFACTURER ENTRIES

SAFARI RALLY KENYA ADDITIONAL RALLY1 ENTRIES

SAFARI RALLY KENYA 2024 RESULTS

SAFARI RALLY KENYA RECENT WINNERS

World Rally Championship

Safari Rally KenyaSEASON 2025SportRallies1SportWorld Rally ChampionshipRalliesSEASON 2025Safari Rally Kenya01Friday, March 14, 2025 – 1:00pmFriday, March 14, 2025 – 1:00pm