2021 Safari Rally

2021 Safari Rally
Safari Rally Kenya 2021
Round 6 of 12 in the 2021 World Rally Championship
← Previous eventNext event →
The opening ceremony of the rally.
Host country Kenya
Rally baseNairobi, Nairobi County
Dates run24 – 27 June 2021
Start locationKasarani, Nairobi
Finish locationHell's Gate National Park, Naivasha
Stages18 (320.19 km; 198.96 miles)[1]
Stage surfaceGravel
Transport distance813.17 km (505.28 miles)
Overall distance1,133.94 km (704.60 miles)
Statistics
Crews registered58
Crews52 at start, 26 at finish
Overall results
Overall winnerFrance Sébastien Ogier
France Julien Ingrassia
Japan Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
3:18:11.3
Power Stage winnerEstonia Ott Tänak
Estonia Martin Järveoja
South Korea Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
6:06.4
Support category results
WRC-2 winnerno classified finishers
WRC-3 winnerKenya Onkar Rai
United Kingdom Drew Sturrock
3:47:37.7

The 2021 Safari Rally (also known as the Safari Rally Kenya 2021) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 24 and 27 June 2021.[2] It marked the sixty-ninth running of the Safari Rally. The event was the sixth round of the 2021 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The 2021 event was based in Nairobi in the Nairobi County and was contested over eighteen special stages totalling 320.19 km (198.96 mi) in competitive distance.[1]

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia won the rally. Their team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, were the manufacturer's winners.[3] There were no classified finishers in the World Rally Championship-2 category.[4] Local hero Onkar Rai and Drew Sturrock won the World Rally Championship-3 category.[5]

At the age of ninety-one, Polish driver Sobiesław Zasada became the oldest competitor to start a World Rally Championship event.[6]

Background

Championship standings prior to the event

Reigning World Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia entered the round with an eleven-point lead over Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin. Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe were third, a further eighteen points behind. In the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT held a massive a forty-nine-point lead over defending manufacturers' champions Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, followed by M-Sport Ford WRT.

In the World Rally Championship-2 standings, Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene held a two-point lead ahead of Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen in the drivers' and co-drivers' standings respectively, with Marco Bulacia Wilkinson and Marcelo Der Ohannesian in third. In the teams' championship, Movisport and Toksport WRT co-led the championship, with M-Sport Ford WRT in third.

In the World Rally Championship-3 standings, Yohan Rossel and Alexandre Coria lead drivers' and co-drivers' championship respectively. Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciek Szczepaniak were second, trailed by Nicolas Ciamin and Yannick Roche.

Entry list

The following crews entered the rally. The event was opened to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, its support categories, the World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3, and privateer entries that are not registered to score points in any championship. Eleven entries for the World Rally Championship were received, as were four in the World Rally Championship-2 and six in the World Rally Championship-3.

Rally1 entries competing in the World Rally Championship
No. Driver Co-Driver Entrant Car Tyre
1 France Sébastien Ogier France Julien Ingrassia Japan Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC P
2 Sweden Oliver Solberg Republic of Ireland Aaron Johnston France Hyundai 2C Competition Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC P
6 Spain Dani Sordo Spain Borja Rozada South Korea Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC P
7 France Pierre-Louis Loubet France Florian Haut-Labourdette France Hyundai 2C Competition Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC —
8 Estonia Ott Tänak Estonia Martin Järveoja South Korea Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC P
11 Belgium Thierry Neuville Belgium Martijn Wydaeghe South Korea Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC P
16 France Adrien Fourmaux Belgium Renaud Jamoul United Kingdom M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta WRC P
18 Japan Takamoto Katsuta United Kingdom Daniel Barritt Japan Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC P
33 United Kingdom Elfyn Evans United Kingdom Scott Martin Japan Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC P
37 Italy Lorenzo Bertelli Italy Simone Scattolin United Kingdom M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta WRC P
44 United Kingdom Gus Greensmith Republic of Ireland Chris Patterson United Kingdom M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta WRC P
69 Finland Kalle Rovanperä Finland Jonne Halttunen Japan Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC P
Source:[7]
Rally2 entries competing in the World Rally Championship-2
No. Driver Co-Driver Entrant Car Tyre
20 Norway Andreas Mikkelsen Norway Ola Fløene Germany Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia R5 Evo —
21 Bolivia Marco Bulacia Wilkinson Argentina Marcelo Der Ohannesian Germany Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia R5 Evo —
22 Finland Teemu Suninen Finland Mikko Markkula United Kingdom M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II —
23 Czech Republic Martin Prokop Czech Republic Zdeněk Jůrka United Kingdom M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II P
Source:[7]
Rally2 entries competing in the World Rally Championship-3[a]
No. Driver Co-Driver Entrant Car Tyre
24 Kenya Onkar Rai United Kingdom Drew Sturrock Kenya Onkar Rai Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 P
25 Kenya Carl Tundo Kenya Tim Jessop Kenya Carl Tundo Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 P
26 Kenya Tejveer Rai Zimbabwe Gareth Dawe Kenya Tejveer Rai Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 P
27 Kenya Karan Patel Kenya Tauseef Khan Kenya Karan Patel Ford Fiesta R5 P
28 Kenya Aakif Virani Kenya Azhar Bhatti Kenya Aakif Virani Škoda Fabia R5 P
29 Poland Daniel Chwist Poland Kamil Heller Poland Daniel Chwist Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II P
Source:[7]
Other major entries
No. Driver Co-Driver Entrant Car Tyre
36 Poland Sobiesław Zasada Poland Tomasz Borysławski Poland M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 P
Source:[7]

Route

Itinerary

All dates and times are EAT (UTC+3).

Leg Date Time No. Stage name Distance
— 23 June 13:01 — Loldia [Shakedown] 2.89 km
1 24 June 14:08 SS1 Super Special Kasarani 4.84 km
25 June 08:09 SS2 Chui Lodge 1 13.34 km
09:05 SS3 Kedong 1 32.68 km
10:18 SS4 Oserian 1 18.87 km
13:46 SS5 Chui Lodge 2 13.34 km
14:42 SS6 Kedong 2 32.68 km
15:55 SS7 Oserian 2 18.87 km
2 26 June 08:08 SS8 Elmenteita 1 14.67 km
09:08 SS9 Soysambu 1 20.33 km
10:22 SS10 Sleeping Warrior 1 31.04 km
14:05 SS11 Elmenteita 2 14.67 km
15:08 SS12 Soysambu 2 20.33 km
16:22 SS13 Sleeping Warrior 2 31.04 km
3 27 June 07:26 SS14 Loldia 1 11.33 km
08:38 SS15 Hell's Gate 1 10.56 km
10:45 SS16 Malewa 9.71 km
11:25 SS17 Loldia 2 11.33 km
13:18 SS18 Hell's Gate 2 [Power Stage] 10.56 km
Source:[1]

Report

World Rally Cars

Classification

Position No. Driver Co-driver Entrant Car Time Difference Points
Event Class Event Stage
1 1 1 Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC 3:18:11.3 0.0 25 2
2 2 18 Takamoto Katsuta Daniel Barritt Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC 3:18:33.1 +21.8 18 0
3 3 8 Ott Tänak Martin Järveoja Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3:19:20.8 +1:09.5 15 5
4 4 44 Gus Greensmith Chris Patterson M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta WRC 3:20:05.9 +1:54.6 10 0
5 5 16 Adrien Fourmaux Renaud Jamoul M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta WRC 3:20:06.0 +1:54.7 12 0
6 6 69 Kalle Rovanperä Jonne Halttunen Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC 3:29:04.7 +10:53.4 8 4
10 7 33 Elfyn Evans Scott Martin Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Yaris WRC 4:07:34.0 +49:22.7 1 3
11 8 37 Lorenzo Bertelli Simone Scattolin M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta WRC 4:08:28.3 +50:17.0 0 0
12 9 6 Dani Sordo Borja Rozada Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 4:21:30.8 +1:03:19.5 0 1
Retired SS15 11 Thierry Neuville Martijn Wydaeghe Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC Damper 0 0
Retired SS5 2 Oliver Solberg Aaron Johnston Hyundai 2C Competition Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC Roll cage 0 0
Did not start 7 Pierre-Louis Loubet Florian Haut-Labourdette Hyundai 2C Competition Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC Crew swap 0 0

Special stages

Day Stage Stage name Length Winners Car Time Class leaders
23 June — Loldia [Shakedown] 2.89 km Ogier / Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 3:42.6 —
24 June SS1 Super Special Kasarani 4.84 km Ogier / Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 3:21.5 Ogier / Ingrassia
25 June SS2 Chui Lodge 1 13.34 km Neuville / Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 9:47.7 Neuville / Wydaeghe
SS3 Kedong 1 32.68 km Neuville / Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 16:52.3
SS4 Oserian 1 18.87 km Rovanperä / Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC 12:39.3
SS5 Chui Lodge 2 13.34 km Rovanperä / Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC 9:59.9 Rovanperä / Halttunen
SS6 Kedong 2 32.68 km Neuville / Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 16:52.1 Neuville / Wydaeghe
SS7 Oserian 2 18.87 km Ogier / Ingrassia
Katsuta / Barritt 		Toyota Yaris WRC
Toyota Yaris WRC 		12:52.1
26 June SS8 Elmenteita 1 14.67 km Neuville / Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 9:01.4
SS9 Soysambu 1 20.33 km Ogier / Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 14:11.9
SS10 Sleeping Warrior 1 31.04 km Ogier / Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 17:26.6
SS11 Elmenteita 2 14.67 km Ogier / Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 8:47.5
SS12 Soysambu 2 20.33 km Tänak / Järveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 13:52.7
SS13 Sleeping Warrior 2 31.04 km Sordo / Rozada Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 17:25.0
27 June SS14 Loldia 1 11.33 km Ogier / Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 7:37.1
SS15 Hell's Gate 1 10.56 km Evans / Martin Toyota Yaris WRC 3:14.3 Katsuta / Barritt
SS16 Malewa 9.71 km Fourmaux / Jamoul Ford Fiesta WRC 7:01.1 Ogier / Ingrassia
Katsuta / Barritt
SS17 Loldia 2 11.33 km Ogier / Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 7:35.0 Ogier / Ingrassia
SS18 Hell's Gate 2 [Power Stage] 10.56 km Tänak / Järveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 6:06.4

Championship standings

Pos. Drivers' championships Co-drivers' championships Manufacturers' championships
Move Driver Points Move Co-driver Points Move Manufacturer Points
1 Sébastien Ogier 133 Julien Ingrassia 133 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 273
2 Elfyn Evans 99 Scott Martin 99 Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 214
3 Thierry Neuville 77 Martijn Wydaeghe 77 M-Sport Ford WRT 109
4 Ott Tänak 69 Martin Järveoja 69 Hyundai 2C Competition 28
5 Takamoto Katsuta 66 Daniel Barritt 66

World Rally Championship-2

Classification

Position No. Driver Co-driver Entrant Car Time Difference Points
Event Class Class Stage Event
Retired SS6 23 Martin Prokop Zdeněk Jůrka M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II Crash 0 0 0
Did not start 20 Andreas Mikkelsen Ola Fløene Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia R5 Evo Withdrawn 0 0 0
Did not start 21 Marco Bulacia Wilkinson Marcelo Der Ohannesian Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia R5 Evo Withdrawn 0 0 0
Did not start 22 Teemu Suninen Mikko Markkula M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II Withdrawn 0 0 0

Special stages

Day Stage Stage name Length Winners Car Time Class leaders
23 June — Loldia [Shakedown] 2.89 km Prokop / Jůrka Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II 4:17.9 —
24 June SS1 Super Special Kasarani 4.84 km Prokop / Jůrka Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II 3:39.6 Prokop / Jůrka
25 June SS2 Chui Lodge 1 13.34 km Prokop / Jůrka Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II 11:05.9
SS3 Kedong 1 32.68 km Prokop / Jůrka Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II 19:40.1
SS4 Oserian 1 18.87 km Prokop / Jůrka Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II 14:12.2
SS5 Chui Lodge 2 13.34 km Prokop / Jůrka Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II 11:15.5
SS6 Kedong 2 32.68 km No stage winners — No leaders
SS7 Oserian 2 18.87 km No stage winners —
26 June SS8 Elmenteita 1 14.67 km No stage winners —
SS9 Soysambu 1 20.33 km No stage winners —
SS10 Sleeping Warrior 1 31.04 km No stage winners —
SS11 Elmenteita 2 14.67 km No stage winners —
SS12 Soysambu 2 20.33 km No stage winners —
SS13 Sleeping Warrior 2 31.04 km No stage winners —
27 June SS14 Loldia 1 11.33 km No stage winners —
SS15 Hell's Gate 1 10.56 km No stage winners —
SS16 Malewa 9.71 km No stage winners —
SS17 Loldia 2 11.33 km No stage winners —
SS18 Hell's Gate 2 [Power Stage] 10.56 km No stage winners —

Championship standings

Pos. Drivers' championships Co-drivers' championships Teams' championships
Move Driver Points Move Co-driver Points Move Manufacturer Points
1 Andreas Mikkelsen 68 Ola Fløene 68 Toksport WRT 125
2 Mads Østberg 66 Torstein Eriksen 66 Movisport 125
3 Marco Bulacia Wilkinson 63 Marcelo Der Ohannesian 63 M-Sport Ford WRT 104
4 Esapekka Lappi 59 Janne Ferm 59 Hyundai Motorsport N 12
5 Teemu Suninen 41 Mikko Markkula 41

World Rally Championship-3

Classification

Position No. Driver Co-driver Entrant Car Time Difference Points
Event Class Class Stage Event
7 1 24 Onkar Rai Drew Sturrock Onkar Rai Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 3:47:37.7 0.0 25 5 6
8 2 27 Karan Patel Tauseef Khan Karan Patel Ford Fiesta R5 3:51:41.7 +4:04.0 18 2 4
9 3 25 Carl Tundo Tim Jessop Carl Tundo Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 3:54:52.0 +7:14.3 15 3 2
17 4 29 Daniel Chwist Kamil Heller Daniel Chwist Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II 4:37:20.4 +49:42.7 12 4 0
22 5 28 Aakif Virani Azhar Bhatti Aakif Virani Škoda Fabia R5 5:12:17.6 +1:24:39.9 10 1 0
Retired SS3 26 Tejveer Rai Gareth Dawe Tejveer Rai Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 Rolled 0 0 0

Special stages

Day Stage Stage name Length Winners Car Time Class leaders
23 June — Loldia [Shakedown] 2.89 km Rai / Sturrock Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 4:07.6 —
24 June SS1 Super Special Kasarani 4.84 km Patel / Khan Ford Fiesta R5 3:42.6 Patel / Khan
25 June SS2 Chui Lodge 1 13.34 km Rai / Sturrock Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 11:01.1 Rai / Sturrock
SS3 Kedong 1 32.68 km Tundo / Jessop Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 19:36.1
SS4 Oserian 1 18.87 km Rai / Sturrock Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 14:41.9
SS5 Chui Lodge 2 13.34 km Rai / Sturrock Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 11:39.0
SS6 Kedong 2 32.68 km Stage cancelled
SS7 Oserian 2 18.87 km Stage cancelled
26 June SS8 Elmenteita 1 14.67 km Tundo / Jessop Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 9:42.4 Rai / Sturrock
SS9 Soysambu 1 20.33 km Rai / Sturrock Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 15:51.6
SS10 Sleeping Warrior 1 31.04 km Rai / Sturrock Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 20:10.3
SS11 Elmenteita 2 14.67 km Tundo / Jessop Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 9:56.1
SS12 Soysambu 2 20.33 km Tundo / Jessop Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 15:27.9
SS13 Sleeping Warrior 2 31.04 km Tundo / Jessop Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 21:05.5
27 June SS14 Loldia 1 11.33 km Tundo / Jessop Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 8:32.5
SS15 Hell's Gate 1 10.56 km Chwist / Heller Ford Fiesta R5 Mk. II 3:50.2
SS16 Malewa 9.71 km Tundo / Jessop Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 7:58.5
SS17 Loldia 2 11.33 km Tundo / Jessop Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 8:27.6
SS18 Hell's Gate 2 [Power Stage] 10.56 km Rai / Sturrock Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 7:10.7

Championship standings

Pos. Drivers' championships Co-drivers' championships
Move Driver Points Move Co-driver Points
1 Yohan Rossel 98 Alexandre Coria 70
2 Kajetan Kajetanowicz 64 Maciek Szczepaniak 64
3 Nicolas Ciamin 57 Yannick Roche 57
4 New entry Onkar Rai 30 New entry Drew Sturrock 30
5 1 Teemu Asunmaa 28 1 Benoît Fulcrand 28

Notes

  1. ^ Under the Sporting Regulations, each car competing in the World Rally Championship-3 is entered under the driver's name.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Itinerary Safari Rally Kenya 2021". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Croatia and Estonia named in 2021 WRC calendar". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Ogier seizes Safari success after Neuville heartbreak". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Rai charges to early WRC3 lead in Kenya". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021. There were no finishers in WRC2.
  5. ^ "Onkar conqiers WRC3 in Kenya". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Sobieslaw Zasada: Q & A". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d "Entry List Safari Rally Kenya 2021". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2021 Safari Rally.
Previous rally:
2021 Rally Italia Sardegna 		2021 FIA World Rally Championship Next rally:
2021 Rally Estonia
Previous rally:
2002 Safari Rally
2020 edition cancelled 		2021 Safari Rally Next rally:
2022 Safari Rally