The Kenya World Cup Rally started today with a test special stage. The legendary Safari rally puts drivers and cars to the test, although the race is of course very different compared to previous years.
Hyundai’s Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi is competing in Africa for the first time. The experience was already memorable in the sheet music.
– Wild animals could be seen like hell, even in one big clearing there must be thousands. It was crazy. Otherwise, the nature here is quite exotic. It’s somehow a sweet feeling, Lappi beams.
– The experience so far has been wonderful and exotic. Of course, the rally has yet to be driven.
The other drivers have already driven the Safari rally twice, so Lappi starts the race as an underdog in terms of experience.
– It has rained a lot here, and it is very green. The grass has grown and sometimes it’s really hard to see where the road goes. Making a good note was difficult, because in principle you can mow the lawn everywhere, Lappi thinks.
The Lapland rally got off to a rough start, when the drive shaft of the Finnish driver’s car broke on the first pull of the special test. However, fixing the error should be effortless.
Rovanperä defends the victory
Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä, who leads the World Series, celebrated a victory in Kenya last season on Midsummer. The Finnish star is again burdened with the role of “ploughman” brought by the first car, but according to Rovanperä, that is not necessarily a problem on African gravel roads.
– The situation is not as bad as in other rallies. On some sections, the first starting place can be quite good on Friday. It has apparently rained more, so a lot of gravel and sand has flowed off the road, Rovanperä describes.
– On the other hand, more loose stones, bedrock and pebbles are visible than before. The biggest challenge of the year is surely coming to keep the car and the tires together. The conditions are really harsh.
The goal at Rovanperä is of course to celebrate Midsummer on Sunday on the highest podium.
– It’s pretty clear after last year’s victory. Of course we want to defend it. However, the teams are certainly closer to each other now, as has already been seen. The other cars are also stronger, so there will be a tough race, Rovanperä aprikoi.
Lapland wants to continue in the prize pipeline
Hyundai driver Lapi already has three consecutive podium places under his belt in the World Championship. Although Pieksämäkeläinen gives others a handicap in terms of experience in Africa, the Finnish driver is not satisfied with mere rough places.
– The most important goal is to get through the race without problems and accumulate all the kilometers in the experience bank. Then the results will definitely be high, Lappi sums up.
– However, the speed has been at such a level on the gravel that I do want to drive for the prize places. In fact, it should be the goal in all competitions in the future.
If everything clicks into place, could Lappi even claim the second World Cup victory of his career in Kenya?
– It depends on who is behind in the results, Lappi laughs, referring to his position as the second driver of Hyundai’s WRC team.
So far, Lappi won the only World Rally Championship in his career six years ago in Finland.
The World Rally Championship in Kenya starts on Thursday with a public special stage near the capital Nairobi.