Two years ago, Rovanperä claimed victory at Kenya’s legendary WRC event. Last season, he was locked in a fierce battle for first place with his teammate, Sebastien Ogier, ultimately finishing second.
This year, the Safari Rally is set to take place over Easter during the rainy season, which means conditions could be extremely challenging. A taste of what’s to come was already seen during reconnaissance, as sections were found to be incredibly muddy.
Sami Pajari, who travelled to Kenya merely to familiarize himself with the Safari special stages, ended up veering off the road and getting stuck in the mud during recce. Pajari revealed that just moments before, world champion Rovanperä had been in trouble in the exact same spot.
“It was a silly thing that Kalle got stuck in the same place on the first pass and I towed him out,” Pajari recounted in an interview with DirtFish.
Below is a video of Pajari’s moment. The story continues after the embed.
In an interview with Unibet, Rovanperä mentioned that the conditions added an extra layer of complexity to the recce.
“During the recce, we’ve had both rain and sunshine. When it rains, it drastically changes the conditions. The roads are such that water completely removes the grip from them. It feels like driving on ice with summer tyres. There’s also a lot of standing water left on the roads.”
This year, Rovanperä is only participating in a portion of the WRC events, enjoying the season across various motorsport series. However, the Finnish star does not compromise on his goals, despite not contending for the championship.
In Africa, the fun would quickly end if Rovanperä encounters problems and cannot compete for top positions.
“If I win, for sure then I’ll have fun. If I don’t win, it’s always a bit so-so.,” Rovanperä told DirtFish.
The Safari Rally’s shakedown is scheduled for Wednesday morning. The opening special stage takes place on Thursday.
