Finland’s Kalle Rovanperä is the winner of the 2022 WRC Safari Rally that ended in Kenya on Sunday.
Rovanperä, together with his navigator Halttunen Jonne driving a Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT clocked 3:40:24.9.
They finished 52.8 seconds ahead of Welshman Elfyn Evans as the
Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta of Japan who was runner-up last year came in third, while 2021 winner and eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier of France finished fourth.
“I am happy to win this very competitive Rally. This was the hardest rally I have ever done and if I am honest we just have to thank the team,” said Rovanperä who now extends his championship lead to 65 points.
Maxine Wahome who finished 17th also made history by becoming the first Kenyan female to win a World Rally Championship (WRC) support round as the Safari Rally concluded on Sunday.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who officially closed the rally in Naivasha parised Wahome.
“I want to congratulate our very own Maxine Wahome, you have proved that the world of motorsport is not the world of men but humankind; we shall stand with you through the WRC ranks globally,” Kenyatta saluted.
Zambia’s Gomes Leroy/Gomes Urshlla, Duncan Mubiru/Musa Nsubuga (Uganda) and Kenya’s Daren Miraida/Shah Amman were among the crew that retired.
Top five
1 Kalle Rovanperä/Halttunen Jonne (3:40:24.9)
2 Evans Elfyn/Martin Scott (3:41:17.7)
3 Katsula Takamoto/Johnston Aaron (3:42:07.6)
4 Ogier Sebastien/Veillas Benjamin (3:42:35.2)
5 Neuville Thierry/Wydaeghe Martiyn (3:51:05.8)
