Toyota repeats 1-2-3-4 Safari Rally victory after 29 years

The Safari Rally is considered one of the most grueling rallies in the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar. The combination of soft sand, desert climate, and occasional torrential rains make life very difficult for competitors. Quite simply, the rally is more about survival rather than a flat-out race to the finish line.

With that said, Toyota Gazoo Racing has repeated a historic feat at the legendary Safari Rally Kenya, as Kalle Rovanpera of Finland led the brand's clean sweep of the top four places with the GR Yaris Rally Car, giving Toyota their first 1-2-3-4 finish in 29 years.

In 1993, it was Juha Kankkunen, Markku Alen, Ian Duncan and Yasuhiro Iwase who led the way with the Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD. 29 years later, Rovanpera, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sebastien Ogier did the honor for Toyota's landmark 10th victory in the famous African event.

“To achieve a 1-2-3-4 here at the Safari Rally is an exceptional result. It’s nearly 30 years since Toyota managed the same feat here in Kenya with the Celica and I can only thank our team and our drivers for the superb job they have done. When we were developing the GR Yaris Rally1 we focused above all on making a really strong and reliable car. This was really the most important thing on this event and the car has worked really well in such difficult conditions.” said Jari-Matti Latvala, Team Principal of Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team.

With only seven rounds to go in the 2022 WRC season, 21-year old Kalle Rovanpera has four wins out of six rallies, giving him a mammoth 65-point championship lead over Hyundai's Thierry Neuville. In the constructors' championship, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT is also holding a 62-point lead over Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT.

Barring any misfortune in the remaining rallies, Kalle Rovanpera could be on his way to become the youngest WRC champion. And in the process, be the only driver (other than Ott Tanak) not named Sebastien or hail from France to win the title.