A total of 350.52km separates crews from success in Naivasha, with the rally presenting one of the toughest challenges of the season. As well as the usual rough gravel battles, fesh-fesh and exotic wildlife add further complexity for the crews.
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team has previously secured three podiums at the Sub-Saharan event, including a double podium last season. With the rally often delivering a series of unexpected challenges, preparation, determination and resilience will be key to achieving a strong performance across the plains.
Q+A with Hyundai Motorsport WRC Sporting Director Andrew Wheatley
What are the team’s goals for Safari Rally Kenya?
“Safari Rally Kenya is a very different prospect from the first two events of the season. Compared to the high-speed, flat-out nature of Sweden, Kenya is an event that demands respect and rewards patience. This will be the first time that we have competed here with the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Evo specification car, but we know that it’s capable of securing solid results at these types of events – like we saw in Greece and Saudi Arabia last year. The weather can make a dramatic difference to the stages, and it can be very hard to predict when the rain will arrive on a specific stage.”
What did you learn about the car at Rally Sweden that could help you in Kenya and beyond?
“Sweden was a challenging rally for the team; we didn’t get the best out of the car for the conditions that weekend. Despite two fastest times for Thierry and respective second-fastest times for Thierry and Esapekka, we did not have the consistency to fight for podium places; but it was a very good opportunity to learn more about the Evo chassis on the low grip surface. The high average speed of the stages there really magnified the issue because our drivers’ did not have confidence in feeling the grip through the car. However, we took the chance to assess the issues and try a number of options, and this did help us accelerate the learning process as we shifted our focus to the testing programme for Kenya.”
What are your expectations for Kenya?
“To secure a good result in Kenya, we need to expect the unexpected and prepare for all the possible changes in conditions. We know that Safari Rally Kenya can spring surprises on any and all of the competitors, and the winner will be the crew that can best absorb them. We have drivers with good experience of the conditions in Kenya, we know what is required to be fast, but we need to put it all together in order to beat our competition – and that is much easier said than done.”
Views from the crews
Thierry Neuville said: “Safari Rally Kenya is one of the most demanding events on the calendar for both man and machine. It’s been a tough event for us, but last year we were able to secure our first podium, and that’s where we want to get back to. It’s hard to know what the conditions will be like, but based on what we’ve had over the past few years, we expect a huge variety. Rain tends to be very localised, but it’s usually heavy across stages like Sleeping Warrior. As well as navigating the conditions, we must optimise our setup to protect the car as much as possible. Balancing reliability with the right setup is always a challenge, but avoiding punctures is an even bigger one. My goal is to have a trouble-free event; we can be fast in Kenya, but we’ve also struggled to get through without any issues. Hopefully this year we can bring home another strong result.”
Adrien Fourmaux said: “Safari Rally Kenya is a unique event for our championship. Everything from pacenotes to the unpredictable weather are very different to other rallies, and they’re not necessarily things that we are used to. This event can be a mix of fesh-fesh, mud and deep puddles across rough sections – this can be very hard on both the car and the mechanics. Tyre management is crucial; we have to get the best out of them without doing too much damage. We’ll be fourth on the road in Kenya, which is a strong position for this event. It’s ideal because you avoid the destroyed roads you’d get starting further back, and you can also make the most of the lines in the road from the cars in front. Our target is to have a clean rally – avoid damaging the car and risking any punctures – so we can finish on the podium.”
Esapekka Lappi said: “We’ve tried to maximise our preparations for Kenya by focussing on reliability, including enhancing our demisting system for the best visibility in wet conditions. Pure performance is not as crucial in Kenya, so we are at less of a disadvantage there. It’s difficult to prepare for the fesh-fesh as it’s almost impossible to find similar conditions in Europe, so it’s often just full throttle and fingers crossed. Enni hasn’t competed in Kenya before, but she did do a recce there two years ago, which gives her some understanding of what it’s like. Her most important preparation will be getting advice from our co-driver colleagues. I’d like to be in a position where we’re on the pace to fight for a good finish, but to do that we need a calm and collected approach.”
