Japanese Rally star Takamoto Katsuta with President WIlliam Ruto in Naivasha on March 15, 2026/ PCS
The brutal terrain of the Safari Rally once again proved why it remains the most punishing round of the World Rally Championship calendar, with cutting-edge rally machinery from Toyota, Hyundai, and Skoda battling dust, rocks, and punishing stages to deliver the top 10 finishers.
At the sharp end of the leaderboard, Toyota’s engineering prowess stood tall as the formidable Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing in Finland, powered several crews to commanding performances across the unforgiving Kenyan terrain.
Japanese star Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston steered their Toyota machine to victory, conquering the rally in a cumulative time of 3:16:05.6.
Hot on their heels were Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria, whose Hyundai i20N Rally1, built by Hyundai Motorsport in Germany, powered them to a strong second-place finish in 3:16:33.0.
Another Toyota entry rounded off the podium as rising Finnish driver Sami Pajari and navigator Marko Salminen guided their GR Yaris Rally1 to third overall in 3:20:31.7.
Hyundai continued its push in fourth position, with experienced campaigner Esapekka Lappi and co-driver Enni Malkonen clocking 3:22:12.9 aboard the Hyundai i20N Rally1.
The fight further down the leaderboard saw the reliable Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, engineered by Skoda Motorsport in the Czech Republic. Estonian aces Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo were the best-placed Skoda crew, finishing fifth overall in 3:27:44.3.
Britain’s Gus Greensmith, alongside Swedish co-driver Jonas Andersson secured sixth place in 3:28:14.6 driving a Toyota GR Yaris built by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan.
The Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 continued to impress deeper in the order, with Paraguayan driver Fabrizio Zaldivar and Marcelo Der Ohannesian finishing seventh in 3:28:25.6, just ahead of Norwegian rally veteran Andreas Mikkelsen and navigator Jorn Listerud, who clocked 3:28:36.3 for eighth place.
Ninth position went to Diego Dominguez and co-driver Rogelio Penate in another Toyota GR Yaris, timing 3:29:34.0, while Swedish star Oliver Solberg partnered with Elliott Edmondson rounded out the top 10 in 3:32:50.1, also in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 machine.
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