Toyota GAZOO Racing reaches a milestone this week 20 – 23 March, making its 100th FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) start at Safari Rally Kenya – but there’ll be no time for easy celebrations as the African classic hosts round three of the 2025 season.
Regarded as the toughest test in WRC, Safari Rally Kenya is the first gravel event of the year and takes place in the stunning Great Rift Valley, where lions, leopards, giraffes and zebras roam just metres from the action.
There’s no more fitting place for Toyota’s century milestone. Since the Safari returned to the WRC calendar in 2021, the Japanese marque has dominated – and it arrives in Kenya in supreme form, having achieved perfect scores on the opening two rounds. But, even for the reigning champions, this year’s fixture will be anything but straightforward.
It’s a rally of extremes. Long, flat-out straights where speeds exceed 200kph are followed by deep ruts and rocky tracks that force cars to a crawl. Snorkels are a crucial addition for deep water crossings, a necessity across the 384 competitive kilometres which make it the longest route of the season.
Toyota’s Elfyn Evans leads the drivers’ standings by 28 points heading into the rally, though the Welshman is yet to conquer its unique challenge. Team-mate Kalle Rovanperä has taken two victories here, while Takamoto Katsuta has finished on the podium three times. Finnish rookie Sami Pajari also pilots a GR Yaris Rally1, running in the team’s second-string squad.
“The Safari is a unique rally with a special set of conditions to face,” said Evans. “It’s not easy even if it’s dry, but when you add the likelihood of rain and standing water, it can be a huge challenge just to get to the end. This has been an amazing rally for the team over recent years and while it’s not perhaps been my strongest event personally, we want to aim as high as possible and challenge for the win if it’s possible.”
