Takamoto Katsuta will lead Safari Rally Kenya into the final day following the cancellation of the second run of the Sleeping Warrior stage on Saturday afternoon.
The Japanese moved to the top of the overall classification when three of his Toyota team-mates – Oliver Solberg, Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans – fell foul of the first run through Sleeping Warrior and retired in the stage or on the road section after it.
Just as the crews were bracing themselves for the second pass of one of the season’s most feared roads, the organizers made the call to cancel SS16 as conditions were too challenging for rescue vehicles to access the stage in the event of an emergency.
Katsuta is now just four stages away from a maiden WRC win.
“It’s very stressful to drive like this,” said the leader. “It’s definitely easier when you are fighting for tenths of seconds.”
Katsuta has never won a round of the WRC before, but carries a minute advantage into Sunday
Katsuta was relieved to add 18 seconds to his advantage over second-placed Adrien Fourmaux on SS15. The Frenchman had elected to take a more cautious approach, with the aim of keeping as much mud as possible out of the front of his Hyundai. He was, however, pragmatic in his approach to challenging for his own first win.
“The car has already been racing for three days,” he said. “We need to take care of it.”
Hyundai changed pretty much every possible part on their trio of i20 N Rally1s, including cooling packages, transmission and suspension. Sadly for the Korean squad, a trio of punctures on Soysambu, straight after service, ruled Thierry Neuville out.
That leaves Sami Pajari on a provisional podium after he powered his way past Lappi’s i20 which was slowed by a deflation of its own in Elmenteita.
Like the leader, Pajari refused to think too far ahead. “I’m not thinking about the result,” he said, “just moving to the next stage.”
His countryman Lappi was focused entirely on manufacturer points and refused to be drawn into any kind of a fight. He added: “I don’t care about the result, it doesn’t make sense for me to compete [with Pajari].”
An extraordinary day has left Škoda’s WRC2 leader Robert Virves fifth overall, with almost a minute in hand over Gus Greensmith’s Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
M-Sport Ford drivers Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong would be relieved at the demise of Sleeping Warrior, with both having struggled through the afternoon with further engine issues. They sit 15th and 16threspectively, after what’s been a punishing three days already.
Sunday’s final day will deliver four more stages and 57 kilometres. It will also deliver radically different approaches for certain drivers, with today’s retired crews all returning to do battle for Super Sunday’s bonus points.
