Safari Rally Kenya Preview: A flashback to the past and Ogier’s return
11th March 2026Safari Rally Kenya will get underway this weekend, for the World Rally Championship, as the sport welcomes back the reigning champion and a returning championship leader.
Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree // Red Bull Content Pool
A recent flashback to the past for Evans?
In the most recent round of the WRC, Toyota’s Elfyn Evans has secured the championship lead, yanking it from the hands of his teammate Oliver Solberg at this home event: Sweden.
However, it is reminiscent of Evans’ performance in 2025. The Welshman took over the championship lead in 2025 in Sweden from Sebastien Ogier, who had also missed that event last year.
Evans went on to secure the Kenyan rally after that, winning back-to-back rallies as he went on his way to just miss out on the WRC title.
With Toyota’s strong form in Kenya, remaining undefeated at the event, it looks strong that Evans could potentially secure back-to-back wins on the African terrain as the Welsh driver continues to build up momentum for another title run.
Sebastien Ogier returns
Ogier is gearing up to compete at his second of 10 WRC rallies this weekend, having missed the Swedish rally last month. He will bolster a five-car entry line-up for the Japanese manufacturer, joining alongside Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, Oliver Solberg and Sami Pajari.
The season opener, Rallye Monte Carlo: the rally where Ogier reigns supreme, with the record rally wins of the event, was not favourable against the Frenchman. The reigning world champion endured a tough fight to finish third on the podium, behind the rally winner Oliver Solberg and Elfyn Evans.
Following a less-than-optimal start at his prime event, the nine-time world champion will certainly be looking at the top step this weekend. A feat he has done previously in Kenya.
Since the sport returned to Kenya, Ogier has played his part in Toyota’s dominance of the African event, winning two editions of the event in 2021 and 2023. Can he make it three this weekend and get his first win on the board?
Third consecutive surface
Kenya marks the third consecutive different surface the drivers will contend this season, moving from asphalt in Monte Carlo to Snow in Sweden, to gravel in Kenya.
It means the ride heights will be raised to ensure clearance over the dirt roads below, running differently from how they would on asphalt. Deep-water passages will also benefit from this increased ride height, in addition to the usual snorkels the teams use on the cars.
However, the teams and drivers will have to contend with rutted routes as the cars pass over the stages.
In addition to dealing with Fesh-Fesh, for this event specifically, a very fine powder of gravel which lies on the surface of the stages. Weather conditions can also play a part, churning stages from a rocky, tough stage to an even tougher and waterlogged stage.
An example of this was the Sleeping Warrior stage, which was turned into a quagmire and produced a variety of stage times, with Takamoto Katsuta taking a chunk of time out of Ott Tanak, who led the rally for Hyundai last year.
Read more WRC here:
- Itinerary: WRC 2026 Safari Rally Kenya
- Weather report: the latest forecast for Safari Rally Kenya
- Entry List: WRC 2026 Safari Rally Kenya
- Elfyn Evans wins Rally Sweden to lead back-to-back Toyota 1-2-3
- Evans on the cusp of first 2026 victory at Rally Sweden
- Takamoto Katsuta heads Rally Sweden ahead of Evans
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
