71st edition of Safari Rally
The 2023 Safari Rally (also known as the Safari Rally Kenya 2023 ) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held from 22 June to 25 June 2023.[ 2] It marked the seventy-first running of the Safari Rally , and was the seventh round of the 2023 World Rally Championship , World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3 . The event was based in Naivasha in the Nakuru County , and was contested over nineteen special stages covering a total competitive distance of 356.98 km (221.82 mi).[ 1]
Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen were the defending rally winners. Their team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT , were the defending manufacturer's winners.[ 3] Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak were the defending rally winners in the WRC-2 category.[ 4] Maxine Wahome and Murage Waigwa were the defending rally winners in the WRC-3 category.[ 5]
Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais won the rally. Their team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT , successfully defended their manufacturer's title.[ 6] Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak successfully defended their victory in the World Rally Championship-2 category.[ 7] Diego Dominguez Jr. and Rogelio Peñate won the World Rally Championship-3 category.[ 8]
The Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT crew of Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe was disqualified from the rally post-event for unathorized reconnaissance of stages, stripping them both of their eighth place finish and of the victory in the Power Stage . The disqualifcation instead gave the Power Stage victory to Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja of the M-Sport Ford team.[ 9]
Background
Entry list
The following crews entered into the rally. The event was opened to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, its support categories , the World Rally Championship-2, World Rally Championship-3 and privateer entries that were not registered to score points in any championship. Ten entered under Rally1 regulations, as were eleven Rally2 crews in the World Rally Championship-2 and five Rally3 crew in the World Rally Championship-3.[ 10] [ 11]
Rally1 entries competing in the World Rally Championship
No.
Driver
Co-Driver
Entrant
Car
Championship eligibility
Tyre
4
Esapekka Lappi
Janne Ferm
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer
P
6
Dani Sordo
Cándido Carrera
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer
P
7
Pierre-Louis Loubet
Nicolas Gilsoul
M-Sport Ford WRT
Ford Puma Rally1
Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer
P
8
Ott Tänak
Martin Järveoja
M-Sport Ford WRT
Ford Puma Rally1
Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer
P
9
Jourdan Serderidis
Andy Malfoy
M-Sport Ford WRT
Ford Puma Rally1
Driver, Co-driver
P
11
Thierry Neuville
Martijn Wydaeghe
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer
P
17
Sébastien Ogier
Vincent Landais
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer
P
18
Takamoto Katsuta
Aaron Johnston
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Driver, Co-driver
P
33
Elfyn Evans
Scott Martin
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer
P
69
Kalle Rovanperä
Jonne Halttunen
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Driver, Co-driver, Manufacturer
P
Rally2 entries competing in the World Rally Championship-2
No.
Driver
Co-Driver
Entrant
Car
Championship eligibility
Tyre
21
Kajetan Kajetanowicz
Maciej Szczepaniak
Kajetan Kajetanowicz
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo
Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
22
Grégoire Munster
Louis Louka
M-Sport Ford WRT
Ford Fiesta Rally2
Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver, Team
P
23
Martin Prokop
Zdeněk Jůrka
Martin Prokop
Ford Fiesta Rally2
Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
24
Armin Kremer
Timo Gottschalk
Armin Kremer
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo
Challenger/Masters Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
25
Karan Patel
Tauseef Khan
Karan Patel
Ford Fiesta R5
Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
26
Carl Tundo
Tim Jessop
Carl Tundo
Škoda Fabia R5
Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
27
Daniel Chwist
Kamil Heller
Daniel Chwist
Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
28
Miguel Díaz-Aboitiz
Rodrigo Sanjuan de Eusebio
Miguel Díaz-Aboitiz
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo
Challenger/Masters Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
29
George Vassilakis
Tom Krawszik
M-Sport Ford WRT
Ford Fiesta Rally2
Challenger/Masters Driver, Challenger Co-driver, Team
P
30
Aakif Virani
Azhar Bhatti
Aakif Virani
Škoda Fabia R5
Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
31
Piero Canobbio
Flavio Zanella
Piero Canobbio
Hyundai i20 R5
Challenger/Masters Driver, Challenger/Masters Co-driver
—
32
Samman Singh Vohra
Alfir Khan
Samman Singh Vohra
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo
Challenger Driver, Challenger Co-driver
P
Itinerary
All dates and times are EAT (UTC+3 ).
Date
No.
Time span
Stage name
Distance
21 June
—
After 10:01
Loldia [Shakedown ]
5.40 km
22 June
SS1
After 14:05
Super Special Kasarani
4.84 km
23 June
7:00 – 7:15
Service A , KWS Naivasha
—
SS2
After 8:00
Loldia 1
19.17 km
SS3
After 9:18
Geothermal 1
13.12 km
SS4
After 10:11
Kedong 1
30.48 km
11:14 – 11:44
Regroup , KWS Naivasha
—
11:44 – 12:24
Service B , KWS Naivasha
—
SS5
After 13:09
Loldia 2
19.17 km
SS6
After 14:27
Geothermal 2
13.12 km
SS7
After 15:20
Kedong 2
30.48 km
16:33 – 17:18
Flexi Service C , KWS Naivasha
—
24 June
SS8
After 8:01
Soysambu 1
19.17 km
SS9
After 9:05
Elmenteita 1
15.08 km
SS10
After 10:03
Sleeping Warrior 1
31.04 km
11:29 – 11:55
Regroup , KWS Naivasha
—
11:55 – 12:35
Service D , KWS Naivasha
—
SS11
After 14:01
Soysambu 2
19.17 km
SS12
After 15:05
Elmenteita 2
15.08 km
SS13
After 16:03
Sleeping Warrior 2
31.04 km
17:39 – 18:24
Flexi Service E , KWS Naivasha
—
25 June
SS14
After 6:55
Malewa 1
9.00 km
SS15
After 7:51
Oserian 1
18.33 km
SS16
After 9:05
Hell's Gate 1
10.53 km
10:12 – 10:22
Regroup , KWS Naivasha
—
10:22 – 10:37
Service F , KWS Naivasha
—
SS17
After 11:12
Malewa 2
9.00 km
SS18
After 12:08
Oserian 2
18.33 km
13:16 – 14:07
Regroup , KWS Naivasha
—
SS19
After 14:15
Hell's Gate 2 [Power Stage ]
10.53 km
After 16:00
Podium ceremony , KWS Naivasha
—
Source: [ 1]
Report
WRC Rally1
Classification
Special stages
Championship standings
WRC-2 Rally2
Classification
Special stages
Championship standings
WRC-3 Rally3
Classification
Special stages
Championship standings
References
External links
Categories within the World Rally Championship
Teams and drivers that are eligible to score manufacturer points