In Monte Carlo, the Welshman finished third, and he secured a second-place finish in the snowy landscapes of Sweden. In the championship standings, Evans is just three points behind Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville.
This week, the WRC caravan has traveled to Kenya for the third championship round of the season. It’s another grand adventure for the drivers, as the stages vary from fast savannah sections to narrow cart tracks.
”The Safari Rally is the most extreme event on the calendar so it’s always an exciting one to go to. It’s more about the adventure than the pure thrill of driving but I’m looking forward to it as always,” says Evans.
”We’ve made a decent start to the year, taking good points from the first two rounds, but the Safari can be a bit of a lottery,” the Welshman continues.
The formula for success in Africa is straightforward. The stages must be navigated quickly enough, yet the car must remain undamaged through the harsh terrain.
”We have to find that balance between pushing and looking after the car and see if we can be at the finish with good points, but that’s easier said than done,” Evans summarizes.
”We’ve seen before that when it rains it can be very difficult, and we’re potentially looking at much more difficult conditions for a greater proportion of the rally and that could make things quite challenging.”
Safari Rally begins on Wednesday with a shakedown stage. The actual race starts with a spectator stage on Thursday near the country’s capital, Nairobi.
