Toyota Gazoo Racing has announced a three-car line-up for next month’s FIA WRC Safari Rally Kenya, with the reigning WRC champion Kalle Rovanperä set to take the second start of his truncated campaign.
Electing to run a partial season to recharge his batteries, the Finn started his year off in Sweden, where he crashed out while leading on day two, ending 39th after re-joining the fray on Saturday.
The dusty (or muddy) plains of Kenya will give Rovanperä an opportunity to uphold Toyota’s grip on the African event having won all three Safaris since it returned to the WRC Calendar. Sebastian Ogier took the win in 2021 and 2023, while Rovanperä took the trophy home in 2022.
Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s two full-time drivers will have something to say about that, of course, but with the Finn’s confirmation it means there is no Ogier for the second time in three rallies.
