By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Champions Toyota lead star-studded WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2026 entry lists
NAIROBI, Kenya, February 14- Reigning Constructor’s champions Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (WRT) head the 46-strong entry list released for the WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2026.
This year’s Safari Rally will be held in Naivasha, Kenya, from March 12-15 and is the third leg of the 2026 WRC.
World Drivers’ champion, Sebastian Ogier, and last year’s Safari winner, Elfyn Evans, front a stacked full team of five cars for the Japanese marquee that has won every edition of Africa’s round of the WRC since it returned to the global calendar in 2021.
Current championship leader, Oliver Solberg who is fresh from winning the opening leg WRC Rallye Monte Carlo, twice Safari Rally podium finisher Takamoto Katsuta and rising Finnish star, Sami Pajari round off the imposing Gazoo Racing WRT cast.
South Korea’s Hyundai Racing WRT has also brought out its best as it chases an elusive first Safari Rally title, having been the only team to stop a complete Toyota podium sweep since 2021.
Belgium’s Thierry Neuville, the 2024 world champion, headlines the team as he bids to end his string of bad luck in the Safari.
Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux, who joined Hyundai from American outfit Ford M-Sport Puma WRT and Finnish ace Esapekka Lappi will pilot the other Hyundai cars.
Irishmen Joshua McErlean and Jon Armstrong will lead the M-Sport Puma charge that has entered two cars to bring the WRT entries for the Safari Rally to 10 WRC Rally 1 machines.
Away from the main category, top local drivers have also made strong entries, with Carl Tundo, a five-time Safari Rally champion (during it’s WRC hiatus), the most recognized.
Two-time Africa Rally Champion Karan Patel, current junior ARC champion Samman Singh Vohra, and last year’s WRC 3 winner Nikhil Sachania are other big Kenyan entries.
The ladies are also well-represented, with local favourites, Tinashe Gatimu returning with her mum Caroline Gatimu in a Ford Fiesta Rally4, which will score towards ARC3.
Pauline Shegu and Linet Ayuko have also entered a Subaru, with Nairobi-based lady driver Lisa Cristoferssen also in the mix.
