Grégoire Munster ultimately finished a strong fifth overall, while Josh McErlean secured tenth place.
For Munster, Safari Rally got off to a promising start. He posted the second-fastest time on the second special stage and, for the first time in his career, ended the overnight halt inside the top three. However, on the following day, Munster’s car suffered suspension failure on stage four, causing him to fall far behind the leaders.
Despite the setback, Munster – now in his second full WRC season – refused to give up and fought back to secure a commendable final result in the rally.
Josh McErlean also demonstrated grit and determination in the extremely demanding conditions. Several crews were forced to retire by Sunday, giving the Irishman an opportunity to climb the standings.
At one point on Friday, McErlean even found himself in fifth place before problems struck again. A panel above the exhaust on McErlean’s car developed a hole, allowing smoke to enter the cockpit. McErlean and his co-driver Eoin Treacy were forced to stop and check the issue, losing valuable time.
On Saturday, McErlean’s car then suffered damage to a steering arm, costing him even more time.
Sunday brought further issues for Munster, whose gearbox failed after the third-to-last special stage. Ford mechanics were flown to the service by helicopter and managed to replace the gearbox in just 15 minutes.
Nevertheless, both Munster and McErlean pushed on and on stage 15, they took first and second fastest times respectively.
“I think despite the dramas we’ve faced here in Kenya, we’ve had a very positive weekend overall,” said M-Sport team principal Richard Millener.
“Not a single crew went unscathed this weekend, and to have a 100% finish rate for our Rally1 crews, all of them finishing within the top ten, is an incredible achievement,” Millener continued.
Millener was also extremely pleased with the performance of his team – particularly the swift gearbox change on Munster’s car just before the final two stages.
M-Sport shared a video of the operation on social media, showing the mechanics arriving by helicopter. The video was set to CCR’s Fortunate Son, drawing inspiration from the Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now.
“A big well done to the team who changed that gearbox in 15 minutes – that’s the fastest we’ve ever done it. All three cars in the rally and finishing is something that’s only possible with all the boys and girls here,” Millener praised.
M-Sport’s mechanics changed Grégoire Munster’s gearbox in just 15 minutes. You can watch the video below.
According to Millener, surviving such difficult conditions showed that Munster and McErlean have the potential to challenge the front-runners – at least at times.
“Greg and Josh have both shown immense resilience, skill and mechanical ability this weekend to get their cars to the finish and they deserve huge kudos for that,” Millener said of his driver duo.
“They have both individually shown some really strong pace in some of the toughest conditions rallying has to offer. Our 1-2 stage result on SS15 will remain one of the top moments of the year and shows that these guys have what it takes to fight for the top spots,” Millener added.
