This year’s WRC Safari Rally Kenya will feature nine World Rally Team cars on March 28-31.
Defending champion Sebastien Ogier is the notable absentee for Japanese outfit Toyota Gazoo Racing as per the final FIA entry list.
Ford M-Sport, Gazoo Racing and Hyundai WRT have entered three drivers each.
Toyota has Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and 2022 champion Kalle Rovanpera — the reigning world champion. The trio are determined to extend the GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid dominance in Africa.
Toyota occupied the top four slots on last year’s Safari led by Ogier, who won his second title on the Kenyan fixture.
Series leader, Belgian Thierry Neuville, will pilot one of the three i20 N Rally1 Hybrid for Hyundai alongside Ott Tanak and Finn Esapekka Lappi.
Neuville returns to the Safari with navigator Martijn Wydaeghe while 2019 world champion Tanak, who returned to Hyundai from Ford, will be navigated by his Estonian compatriot Martin Järveoja.
The three Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid marques will be driven by Jourdan Serderidis of Greece, Grégoire Munster and Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux.
Former Kenyan champions Carl “Flash” Tundo and Karan Patel will lead the eight-man local charge alongside the Mitsubishi Evolution X trio of Nikhil Sachania, Andrew Muiruri and Minesh Rathod.
Kenya National Rally leader Samaan Singh Vohra will tackle the event behind the wheel of a Skoda Fabia Evo navigated by Alfir Khan.
Also in the Kenyan mix are Aakif Virani in a Skoda Fabia and Hamza Anwar, who will pilot a Ford Fiesta Rally 3 marque.
More Kenyans are expected to grace the iconic event in the Kenya National Rally Championship category.
WRC Safari Rally -Kenya Entries
Carl Tundo/Timothy Jessop
Karan Patel /Tauseef Khan (Skoda Fabia)
Aakif Virani /Zahir Shah (Skoda Fabia)
Samman Singh Vohra/ Alfir Khan (Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2
Hamza Anwar Adnan Din (Ford Fiesta Rally3 )
Nikhil Sachania /Deep Patel ( Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X)
Andrew Muiruri /Edward Njoroge (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X )
Minesh Rathod Gordon Noble (Mitsubishi Evolution X)
