Evans showcased blistering pace, clinching back-to-back stage wins on SS11 (Sleeping Warrior 1 – 26.97km) and SS12 (Elmenteita 1–17.31km), keeping his dream of a maiden Safari Rally victory firmly on track.
The welshman sits atop the leaderboard with a cumulative time of 2:46:38.5, followed by Rovanpera in 2:48:11.0, while Hyundai’s Ott Tanak holds third in 2:48:28.0. Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta stole the spotlight in the first loop’s finale, storming to victory in SS13 (Soysambu 1 – 28.97km).
His triumph was even more remarkable considering he had battled food poisoning on Friday. Katsuta’s inspired drive saw him snatch fourth place from Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, clocking 2:50:15.7, while Neuville, the reigning World Champion, slipped to fifth in 2:51:45.1.
At Soysambu 1, long-time Friday leader Tanak struggled, conceding 14.5 seconds to Katsuta but managing to hold onto third place. Despite his significant lead, Evans remains wary of the Safari Rally’s unforgiving terrain.
“It’s not a small gap in this condition; you just have to drive and see what happens,” Evans said.
Rovanpera, who suffered two punctures earlier in the day, is determined to fight back in the afternoon run.
“We started strong, but bad luck struck with two punctures. There were some sweepers on the road that I had to avoid, and we picked up a puncture. Now, we’ll push hard and hope for a cleaner run in the afternoon,” said the Finn.
Meanwhile, Tanak admits Hyundai is struggling to match Toyota’s dominance on the punishing Kenyan terrain.
“We are suffering a lot, I was sick all night and not really feeling well today but we are trying to get through. We had some problems with the car in the morning so it was not easy,” he said.
Kenya’s rally maestro and five-time Safari Rally champion, Carl Tundo remains the country’s best-placed driver in WRC2. Tundo currently sits sixth in 3:22:50.6 while Spain’s Jan Solans of Toyota Gazoo leads the WRC2 standings with a commanding 2:56:18.2.
With the first three stages done and dusted, crews now brace for a repeat loop to complete the grueling 147.02-kilometre competitive leg in tbe afternoon session.
