Sébastien Ogier has responded to Kalle Rovanperä’s challenge at the front of Safari Rally Kenya by dominating the first stage of Friday afternoon.
Just 2.5 seconds split Toyota’s two world champions after Friday’s first loop of three stages, setting up an entertaining battle for the second pass.
Ogier had convincingly topped the Loldia stage in the morning to take the lead of the rally, and the eight-time world champion repeated the same trick in the afternoon.
In supreme form, the eight-time world champion was quicker than Rovanperä by an incredible 15.3s to boost his lead up to 17.8s.
“Actually my strategy is a bit different,” Ogier said.
“I tried to drive more clean and gain performance from the tires, and I don’t think the risk is too high for the first two stages it’s only the last one.”
Elfyn Evans had a run in with some wildlife which caused some light damage to his Toyota, but despite this he still extended his advantage over Thierry Neuville to remain in third place.
Evans was 3.6s faster than Neuville’s Hyundai to lead him by 5.3s overall.
Esapekka Lappi remains sixth overall on his first Safari Rally, setting an impressive second fastest time on Loldia 2 to close to just 1.6s behind Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta who arrived at the stage finish with significant front-left damage.
“A zebra came in front of me,” Katsuta said.
“Sorry for the zebra but quite disappointing for myself also.”
Pierre-Louis Loubet meanwhile became the second M-Sport driver in as many stages to pick up a puncture – forced to stop and change it.
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Team-mate Ott Tänak has therefore snuck ahead into eighth, 1m26.5s ahead of a dejected 10th-placed Loubet.
“In the braking in the middle there was a big step and we broke a wheel there,” he explained.
