The Safari Rally in Kenya is returning to its traditional scheduling during the rainy season this year, significantly increasing the challenge level of the competition.
At its worst, the rain can cause the road to disappear entirely beneath the water. Although no rain was encountered during the shakedown stage on Wednesday, conditions can change rapidly.
Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä, who was the fastest in the shakedown, mentions that rain is the most formidable threat, and it doesn’t arrive with a warning.
“The rain will be the most challenging because we don’t have proper rain radars here. As we have seen during the recce and in previous years, it can arrive basically within an hour. Now it might be like this, and one hour later, there could be rain,” Rovanperä told RallyJournal.com.
“When the rain comes, it’s always a lot. So this is going to be really tricky to predict,” Rovanperä continued.
However, Rovanperä has always enjoyed the Safari Rally.
“It’s always special to come to this rally. Now it’s a different time of the year. The rains can be an interesting factor this week. Also, this place is where it’s really hard to predict them. I think it can be a bit of a lottery when they come and how they affect,” Rovanperä stated.
Rovanperä, who won in Kenya two years ago and finished second last year, is well acquainted with the intricacies of the rally. However, the challenge remains substantial.
“You need to establish, let’s say, a steady pace from the start or have a plan you want to follow. So far, we have achieved good results with that strategy. But it’s also tricky. We have sections that are in good condition, and also stages where everyone is pushing flat out in this rally,” Rovanperä anticipated.
“There are big cuts, also big ruts in places, and everybody is still pushing really hard. It’s challenging to find the optimal pace, to avoid breaking anything, and still be fast.”
Rovanperä will start the event from a favorable position, a benefit of being a part-time driver.
“On a few stages, it helps. I think especially on Friday, the first one with a lot of loose gravel, we lost a lot of time last year. I hope this year is similar so that now we could gain something. And then after that, it’s about managing the conditions. All the rain and stuff can make such big differences that there isn’t much you can predict.”
The Safari Rally kicks off today, Thursday, with a short spectator stage in Nairobi and concludes on Sunday.
