From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
2026 Safari Rally
| 2026 Safari RallySafari Rally Kenya 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Round 3 of 14 in the 2026 World Rally Championship← Previous eventNext event → | ← Previous event | Next event → |
| ← Previous event | Next event → | |
| The rally is featured with rocky and rutted tracks and unpredictable weather. | ||
| Kenya | ||
| Naivasha, Nakuru County | ||
| 12 – 15 March 2026 | ||
| Kasarani, Nairobi | ||
| Hell's Gate National Park, Naivasha | ||
| 20 (350.52 km; 217.80 miles) | ||
| Gravel | ||
| 877.34 km (545.15 miles) | ||
| 1,227.86 km (762.96 miles) | ||
| 46 | ||
| 40 at start, 29 at finish | ||
| Takamoto Katsuta Aaron Johnston Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT3:16:05.6 | ||
| Oliver Solberg Elliott Edmondson Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT33:28.9 | ||
| Oliver Solberg Elliott Edmondson Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT5:32.2 | ||
| Robert Virves Jakko Viilo Toksport WRT3:27:44.3 | ||
| Georgios Vasilakis Allan Harryman4:25:07.7 |
The 2026 Safari Rally (also known as the Safari Rally Kenya 2026) was a motor racing event for rally cars held over four days from 12 to 15 March 2026. It marked the seventy-fourth running of the Safari Rally, and was the third round of the 2026 World Rally Championship, 2026 WRC2 Championship and 2026 WRC3 Championship. The 2026 event was based in Naivasha in the Nakuru County, and was consisted of twenty special stages, covering a total competitive distance of 350.52 km (217.80 mi).
Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin were the defending rally winners, and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, were the defending manufacturer's winners. Gus Greensmith and Jonas Andersson were the defending rally winners in the WRC2 championship. Nikhil Sachania and Deep Patel were the defending rally winners in the WRC3 championship.
Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston took their maiden victory, and Toyota successfully defended their title. Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo were the winners in the WRC2 category. Georgios Vasilakis and Allan Harryman were the winners in the WRC3 category.
The following crews entered into the rally. The event was open to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, its support categories, the WRC2 Championship, the WRC3 Championship and privateer entries that were not registered to score points in any championship. Ten crews entered under Rally1 regulations, as were fifteen Rally2 crews in the WRC2 Championship and four Rally3 crews in the WRC3 Championship.
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car | Championship eligibility | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sébastien Ogier | Vincent Landais | Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer | .mw-parser-output .tfd-dated{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .tfd-default{border-bottom:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);clear:both;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tfd-tiny{font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .tfd-inline{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1)}.mw-parser-output .tfd-sidebar{border-bottom:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);text-align:center;position:relative}@media(min-width:640px){.mw-parser-output .tfd-sidebar{clear:right;float:right;width:22em}}.mw-parser-output :not(.mw-parser-output):not(.documentation)>.tfd-dedup~.tfd-dedup,.mw-parser-output :not(.mw-parser-output):not(.documentation)>.tfd-dedup~* .tfd-dedup{display:none}H |
| 4 | Esapekka Lappi | Enni Mälkönen | Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer | H |
| 5 | Sami Pajari | Marko Salminen | Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer, Team | H |
| 11 | Thierry Neuville | Martijn Wydaeghe | Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer | H |
| 16 | Adrien Fourmaux | Alexandre Coria | Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer | H |
| 18 | Takamoto Katsuta | Aaron Johnston | Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver | H |
| 33 | Elfyn Evans | Scott Martin | Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer | H |
| 55 | Josh McErlean | Eoin Treacy | M-Sport Ford WRT | Ford Puma Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer | H |
| 95 | Jon Armstrong | Shane Byrne | M-Sport Ford WRT | Ford Puma Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer | H |
| 99 | Oliver Solberg | Elliott Edmondson | Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer | H |
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car | Championship eligibility | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Gus Greensmith | Jonas Andersson | Gus Greensmith | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | Driver, Co-driver | H |
| 21 | Robert Virves | Jakko Viilo | Toksport WRT | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver, Team | H |
| 22 | Andreas Mikkelsen | Jørn Listerud | Toksport WRT | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver, Team | H |
| 23 | Fabrizio Zaldivar | Marcelo Der Ohannesian | Fabrizio Zaldivar | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 24 | Romet Jürgenson | Siim Oja | M-Sport Ford WRT | Ford Fiesta Rally2 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 25 | Diego Domínguez Jr. | Rogelio Peñate | Diego Domínguez Jr. | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 26 | Daniel Chwist | Kamil Heller | Daniel Chwist | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 27 | Karan Patel | Tauseef Khan | Karan Patel | Škoda Fabia R5 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 28 | Carl Tundo | Tim Jessop | Carl Tundo | Ford Fiesta R5 | Challenger/Master Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 29 | Samman Singh Vohra | Drew Sturrock | Samman Singh Vohra | Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 30 | Jeremiah Wahome | Victor Okundi | Jeremiah Wahome | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 31 | Andrea Lafarja | Germán Maune | Andrea Lafarja | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | Challenger/Masters Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 32 | Issa Amwari | Dennis Mwenda | Issa Amwari | Škoda Fabia R5 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 34 | Aakif Virani | Zahir Shah | Aakif Virani | Škoda Fabia R5 | Challenger/Masters Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| 40 | Hamza Anwar | Chaudry Mudasar | Hamza Anwar | Ford Fiesta R5 | Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver | H |
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car | Class/Championship eligibility | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Nataniel Bruun | Sergio Fernández Guerra | Nataniel Bruun | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | WRC3 | H |
| 37 | Georgios Vasilakis | Allan Harryman | Georgios Vasilakis | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | WRC3, Masters Driver, Masters Co-Driver | H |
| 38 | Naveen Puligilla | Musa Sherif | Naveen Puligilla | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | WRC3 | H |
| 39 | Nikhil Sachania | Deep Patel | Nikhil Sachania | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | WRC3 | H |
All dates and times are EAT (UTC+3).
| Date | No. | Time span | Stage name | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | After 8:01 | Nawisa [Shakedown] | 6.31 km | |
| After 15:00 | Opening ceremony, WRTI Naivasha | —.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px;white-space:nowrap}N/a | ||
| SS1 | After 16:05 | Camp Moran 1 | 24.35 km | |
| SS2 | After 17:23 | Mzabibu 1 | 8.86 km | |
| 18:23 – 19:08 | Service A, WRTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| SS3 | After 8:03 | Camp Moran 2 | 24.35 km | |
| SS4 | After 9:06 | Loldia 1 | 25.04 km | |
| SS5 | After 10:24 | Kengen Geothermal 1 | 13.16 km | |
| SS6 | After 11:17 | Kedong 1 | 13.79 km | |
| 11:57 – 12:57 | Regroup, WRTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| 12:57 – 13:27 | Service B, WRTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| SS7 | After 14:00 | Kedong 1 | 13.79 km | |
| SS8 | After 14:58 | Kengen Geothermal 1 | 13.16 km | |
| SS9 | After 15:56 | Loldia 1 | 25.04 km | |
| SS10 | After 16:59 | Mzabibu 2 | 8.86 km | |
| 17:59 – 18:44 | Flexi service C, WRTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| SS11 | After 8:35 | Soysambu 1 | 24.94 km | |
| SS12 | After 9:35 | Elmenteita 1 | 18.01 km | |
| SS13 | After 10:33 | Sleeping Warrior 1 | 18.01 km | |
| 12:30 – 13:15 | Regroup, WRTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| 13:15 – 13:45 | Service D, WRTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| SS14 | After 15:05 | Soysambu 2 | 24.94 km | |
| SS15 | After 16:05 | Elmenteita 2 | 18.01 km | |
| SS16 | After 17:03 | Sleeping Warrior 2 | 18.01 km | |
| 19:28 – 20:13 | Flexi service E, WRTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| SS17 | After 8:09 | Oserengoni 1 | 18.22 km | |
| SS18 | After 9:35 | Hell's Gate 1 | 10.48 km | |
| SS19 | After 10:38 | Oserengoni 2 | 18.22 km | |
| 11:47 – 12:50 | Regroup, WRTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| SS20 | After 13:15 | Hell's Gate 2 [Power Stage] | 10.53 km | |
| After 14:15 | Podium ceremony, WSTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| After 15:50 | Finish, WSTI Naivasha | —N/a | ||
| Source: |
| Stage | Winners | Car | Time | Class leaders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neuville / Wydaeghe | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | 4:33.1 | —N/a | |
| Solberg / Edmondson | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 22:56.2 | Solberg / Edmondson | |
| Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 7:18.2 | ||
| Stage cancelled | ||||
| Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 14:18.8 | Solberg / Edmondson | |
| Pajari / Salminen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 6:53.3 | ||
| Pajari / Salminen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 6:22.6 | ||
| Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 6:24.4 | ||
| Pajari / Salminen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 6:50.2 | ||
| Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 14:14.1 | ||
| Pajari / Salminen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 7:07.8 | ||
| Solberg / Edmondson | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 15:18.9 | ||
| Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 11:16.3 | ||
| Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 11:32.3 | ||
| Fourmaux / Coria | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | 15:12.8 | Katsuta / Johnston | |
| Pajari / Salminen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 10:45.3 | ||
| Stage cancelled | ||||
| Ogier / Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 11:18.9 | Katsuta / Johnston | |
| Evans / Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 5:32.4 | ||
| Solberg / Edmondson | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 10:58.1 | ||
| Solberg / Edmondson | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 5:32.2 | ||
| Source: |
| Position | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Time | Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Robert Virves | Jakko Viilo | Toksport WRT | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | 3:27:44.3 | 0.0 | 25 | 10 |
| 20 | Gus Greensmith | Jonas Andersson | Gus Greensmith | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | 3:28:14.6 | +30.3 | 17 | 8 |
| 23 | Fabrizio Zaldivar | Marcelo Der Ohannesian | Fabrizio Zaldivar | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | 3:28:25.6 | +41.3 | 15 | 6 |
| 22 | Andreas Mikkelsen | Jørn Listerud | Toksport WRT | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | 3:28:36.3 | +52.0 | 12 | 4 |
| 25 | Diego Domínguez Jr. | Rogelio Peñate | Diego Domínguez Jr. | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | 3:29:34.0 | +1:49.7 | 10 | 2 |
| 26 | Daniel Chwist | Kamil Heller | Daniel Chwist | Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | 4:01:42.3 | +33:58.0 | 8 | 0 |
| 27 | Karan Patel | Tauseef Khan | Karan Patel | Škoda Fabia R5 | 4:26:54.7 | +59:10.4 | 6 | 0 |
| 34 | Aakif Virani | Zahir Shah | Aakif Virani | Škoda Fabia R5 | 4:43:06.7 | +1:15:22.4 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | Samman Singh Vohra | Drew Sturrock | Samman Singh Vohra | Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo | 4:46:47.1 | +1:19:02.8 | 2 | 0 |
| 31 | Andrea Lafarja | Germán Maune | Andrea Lafarja | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | 5:04:23.9 | +1:36:39.6 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Romet Jürgenson | Siim Oja | M-Sport Ford WRT | Ford Fiesta Rally2 | Technical | 0 | 0 | |
| 40 | Hamza Anwar | Chaudry Mudasar | Hamza Anwar | Ford Fiesta R5 | Mechanical | 0 | 0 | |
| Source: |
| Position | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Time | Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Georgios Vasilakis | Allan Harryman | Georgios Vasilakis | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 4:25:07.7 | 0.0 | 25 | |
| 39 | Nikhil Sachania | Deep Patel | Nikhil Sachania | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:15:33.4 | +50:25.7 | 17 | |
| 38 | Naveen Puligilla | Musa Sherif | Naveen Puligilla | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:22:17.9 | +57:10.2 | 15 | |
| 36 | Nataniel Bruun | Sergio Fernández Guerra | Nataniel Bruun | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:25:37.4 | +1:00:29.7 | 12 | |
| Source: |
| Stage | Winners | Car | Time | Class leaders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:24.0 | —N/a | |
| Puligilla / Sherif | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 34:40.4 | Puligilla / Sherif | |
| Vasilakis / Harryman | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 10:14.5 | Vasilakis / Harryman | |
| Stage cancelled | ||||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 17:36.4 | Vasilakis / Harryman | |
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 8:52.8 | ||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 8:21.0 | ||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 8:16.9 | ||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 8:33.6 | ||
| Vasilakis / Harryman | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 18:11.9 | ||
| Vasilakis / Harryman | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 8:36.4 | ||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 19:29.1 | ||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 14:28.8 | ||
| Stage cancelled | ||||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 18:58.8 | Vasilakis / Harryman | |
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 14:23.8 | ||
| Stage cancelled | ||||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 14:02.8 | Vasilakis / Harryman | |
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 7:02.8 | ||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 14:44.2 | ||
| Bruun / Guerra | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 7:04.4 | ||
| Source: |
- Official website (in English)
- 2026 Safari Rally at eWRC-results.com
- 2026 Safari Rally at rally-maps.com (in English, German, and Polish)
Ask Mako anything about 2026 Safari Rally — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up free
Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report