The test special stage of the season’s third World Rally Championship has been run in Kenya. Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä and Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville set the fastest pace on the test track of the Safari rally. The duo clocked a time of 3:32.1.
The top three of the 5.40 kilometer long test EC was completed by Hyundai’s Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi, who lost to the top two by 0.3 seconds.
Rovanperä was second in the World Rally Championship in Kenya last year, but despite his better starting position, he is not going to brag about expectations of success.
– Before this rally, expectations are normally not too high, because anything can happen. I just want to get through the weekend and see where we are, Rovanperä reflected on power relations.
Lappi, who won the previous World Rally Championship in Sweden, was on the same lines as Rovanperä.
– I think we are all a little afraid of what we will face this weekend, but we will try our best, Lappi reflected.
Among the Rally1 drivers, Lappi and his teammate Ott Tänak drove four laps, the others settled for three laps.
World Rally of Kenya, test special exam results:
1. Rovanperä 3.32,1 1. Neuville + 0.0 3. Lappi + 0.3 4. Evans + 1.0 5. Tänak + 1.6 6. Fourmaux + 3.7 7. Katsuta + 3.9 8. Munster + 8.7