Toyota’s Elfyn Evans won the event, but Hyundai beat Toyota in the manufacturers’ standings. Ott Tänak finished second in the gruelling rally, with Thierry Neuville in third.
Adrien Fourmaux added his contribution on Sunday, being the fastest driver on Super Sunday. The Frenchman’s performance added another 10 points to Hyundai’s championship tally.
Still, the WRC season has undoubtedly begun under Toyota’s command. Toyota has celebrated victory in all three rallies of the season so far. Sebastien Ogier took the win in Monte Carlo, while the in-form Evans has claimed the last two events.
After Kenya, Ott Tänak spoke candidly about the situation, saying it is a concern for him.
“For sure. They are super strong, no question,” Tänak said.
“They have the performance and normally also the reliability. But that’s the way it is at the moment. There’s nothing we can do there. We can’t choose to change them — we can only change ourselves. And that just means we need to be stronger,” Tänak continued.
If Toyota has been the strongest team at the start of the season, the same can be said of Elfyn Evans among the drivers. The Welshman has found a completely new level of performance since the hybrid units were removed from the cars, and perhaps it’s also been mentally easier for him with Kalle Rovanperä back for a full season to share the pressure.
“He had a very, very smooth start to the season,” Tänak said of his rival.
