Tänak had been the pace-setter across all stages of Friday morning, but after the midday service, it was Neuville who delivered a commanding performance.
On the second pass through the demanding Camp Moran stage, Neuville was in a class of his own, beating Tänak by a remarkable 22.4 seconds and making a significant push towards the top three overall.
Tänak, who leads the rally, was still quicker than his nearest rivals Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä on the long Camp Moran stage. Evans, currently second overall, dropped 19.1 seconds to the Estonian, while Rovanperä lost 7.9 seconds.
Tänak’s overall lead over Evans has now grown to 43.5 seconds. Rovanperä sits third, trailing Tänak by 55 seconds.
Rovanperä has gradually closed the gap to his team-mate Evans, having now outpaced the Welshman on three consecutive stages. Meanwhile, Neuville, who received over a minute in time penalties on Friday morning, is now fourth overall. The Belgian is 23.7 seconds off the final podium place.
The second run through Camp Moran delivered yet more drama. Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux was forced to retire for the second time this weekend, this time due to a failure in the front-right suspension of his i20 N Rally1.
Josh McErlean also encountered issues on the stage, suffering a puncture and taking a heavy hit with his Ford Puma. The Irishman did manage to reach the end of the stage but lost around two minutes in the process.
Despite suffering a puncture earlier in the day, Takamoto Katsuta climbed to fifth overall, although the Japanese driver is already three and a half minutes off the lead. McErlean and Toyota’s Sami Pajari follow behind in sixth and seventh respectively.
There was disappointment, too, for WRC2 leader Oliver Solberg. The Swede got stuck in a patch of fine, powdery fesh-fesh midway through the rough Camp Moran stage, bringing his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to a halt.
Three more stages remain on Friday in Safari Rally Kenya. The rally concludes on Sunday.
Safari Rally Kenya standings after SS7/21:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | 1:31:04.8 |
| 2. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +43.5 |
| 3. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +55.0 |
| 4. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +1:18.7 |
| 5. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +3:34.7 |
| 6. | Josh McErlean | Ford | +4:37.4 |
| 7. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +4:42.2 |
| 8. | Kajetan Kajetanowicz | Toyota | +5:01.1 |
| 9. | Gus Greensmith | Skoda | +5:13.8 |
| 10. | Jan Solans | Toyota | +5:25.3 |
Safari Rally Kenya, itinerary (CET):
Wednesday, 19 March
08:01 Shakedown: Sleeping Warrior SEZ (5.16 km)
Thursday, 20 March
11:05 SS1: Super Special Kasarani (4.76 km)
14:43 SS2: Mzabibu 1 (8.27 km)
Friday, 21 March
05:13 SS3: Camp Moran 1 (31.40 km)
06:51 SS4: Loldia 1 (19.11 km)
08:04 SS5: Kengen Geothermal 1 (13.18 km)
08:57 SS6: Kedong 1 (15.10 km)
09:52 Service (40 min)
11:30 SS7: Camp Moran 2 (31.40 km)
13:08 SS8: Loldia 2 (19.11 km)
14:21 SS9: Kengen Geothermal 2 (13.18 km)
15:14 SS10: Kedong 2 (15.10 km)
Saturday, 22 March
06:35 SS11: Sleeping Warrior 1 (26.97 km)
07:35 SS12: Elmenteita 1 (17.31 km)
08:33 SS13: Soysambu 1 (28.97 km)
10:59 Service (40 min)
13:05 SS14: Sleeping Warrior 2 (26.97 km)
14:05 SS15: Elmenteita 2 (17.31 km)
15:03 SS16: Soysambu 2 (28.97 km)
Sunday, 23 March
04:42 SS17: Mzabibu 2 (8.27 km)
05:53 SS18: Oserengoni 1 (18.33 km)
07:05 SS19: Hell's Gate 1 (10.53 km)
08:18 Service (15 min)
09:56 SS20: Oserengoni 2 (18.33 km)
12:15 SS21: Hell's Gate 2 (10.53 km) *Power Stage
