Safari Rally Kenya WRC2 winner Gus Greensmith is primed and ready to fight for the 2024 WRC2 title.
While his Toksport Škoda team-mate Oliver Solberg might have the tag of title favorite, Greensmith had the upper hand in Kenya and has his eyes set on the end-of-season prize.
Solberg currently leads the WRC2 standings with 43 points after backing up his home win on Rally Sweden with second on the Safari.
But Greensmith is joint second with Monte Carlo victor Yohan Rossel – both having scored a maximum 25 from their first of seven points-scoring rounds so far.
One WRC2 even down, one win for Greensmith in 2024
The British driver’s later start to the season has allowed him to conduct a more intensive testing program. And, with a year under his belt in the Škoda, Greensmith is brimming with confidence.
In what is likely to be an incredibly tight title tussle – with several genuine contenders – psychology could play a role. Greensmith was keen to ensure that, come Kenya, he hit the ground running and showed Solberg he means business.
“First stage, I wanted to win,” admitted Greensmith, whose task on the grueling Safari was made even tougher by having to battle illness.
“First stage in the morning, I wanted to make sure that Oliver didn’t think that he really stood a chance.”
Already holding a 2.8-second lead over Solberg after Thursday’s superspecial, Greensmith went another 7.7s faster than his Swedish rival through the 12 miles of Loldia, Friday morning’s opener. A psychological blow struck, Greensmith was well on his way to victory.
“And then straight after that, he had the punctures,” he continued. “And then the complexion of the rally changed and it was just about managing.”
Solberg was at a loss to explain his flats that cost him nearly four minutes on SS3 and SS4. But Greensmith batted off suggestions that the Škodas’ suspension setup could be playing a part: “I just think that’s Oliver talking s***, to be honest.”
Perhaps Solberg was pushing too hard in response to his rival’s blistering pace?
Rough gravel events are a traditional strength for Greensmith
“I don’t know,” Greensmith told DirtFish at Friday service. “I think driving in these conditions has always been one of my stronger attributes. But even on the last stage, I was still faster than him before he got the puncture, so we’ll see.”
Whether it was Greensmith’s early statement causing Solberg to push a touch too much, or simply bad luck on the Swede’s part, is a moot point. The damage had been done. So long as he drove sensibly and avoided trouble – easier said than done on the Safari – Greensmith knew victory was within his grasp.
Coming out on top in the pair’s first head-to-head of the season, another psychological blow had been struck.
“It’s friendly competition, for sure,” Greensmith emphasized. “We’re good friends away from a rally but when we’re actually in the rally we want to beat each other more than anything else. The first thing you can do is beat your team-mate.”
Solberg and Greensmith enjoy a friendly rivalry
He later reflected: “I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of other battles. And I’m sure there’s going to be battles this year where Oliver has the edge on speed and I’m trying to chase him.
“That’s just the way rallying is, but that’s why we love the sport.”
Neither Greensmith nor Solberg will be competing for WRC2 points in Croatia later this month. Greensmith will contest the event in a non-scoring capacity before making Portugal his second WRC2 round of the season.
On the eastern shores of the Adriatic, the onus will be on Citroën-mounted Rossel to maintain his 100% record this year and recapture the series lead. The likes of Pepe López (Škoda), Nikolay Gryazin (Citroën), and Hyundai pair Nicolas Ciamin and 2022 champion Emil Lindholm will also be in contention.
But in a contest where there’s likely to be multiple momentum shifts across the season, Greensmith has grabbed the impetus. And he’s not going to let it go easily.
