The second day of the 2025 Safari Rally Kenya proved to be a rigorous test for competitors, with Toyota’s Elfyn Evans emerging as the new leader amidst a series of challenges that reshaped the leaderboard.
Elfyn Evans, driving the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, capitalised on a consistent performance to ascend to the top of the standings. Despite not securing individual stage victories, Evans maintained a steady pace, concluding the day with a 7.7-second lead over his teammate, Kalle Rovanperä. Rovanperä’s day was marred by a spin on the narrow Kedong stage, costing him valuable time, yet he managed to hold the second position.
Ott Tänak of Hyundai experienced a significant setback after dominating the early stages. The Estonian driver built a commanding lead by winning four stages but encountered a driveshaft failure that left his i20 N Rally1 operating with only rear-wheel drive. This mechanical issue caused Tänak to lose substantial time, dropping him to third place, 55.4 seconds behind Evans.
Reigning champion Thierry Neuville faced a challenging day marked by multiple issues. A delayed service due to a gearbox change resulted in a one-minute penalty. Additional complications, including a jump start penalty, a debeaded tire, and further delays due to technical glitches, compounded his challenges. Despite the setbacks, Neuville showcased his resilience with a stunning performance on Stage 7, where he outpaced Ott Tänak by an impressive 22.4 seconds. Without the combined two-minute penalty from various issues, Neuville would have been leading the rally with a comfortable 30-second advantage. Instead, he ended the day in fourth place, trailing Tänak by 36 seconds.
The demanding Kenyan terrain took its toll on several drivers. Adrien Fourmaux, who had rejoined the rally under restart rules after an earlier electrical issue, retired again due to a broken steering arm. Takamoto Katsuta of Toyota suffered multiple tire damages, pushing him over four minutes behind the leader. M-Sport Ford’s Josh McErlean faced a series of mechanical problems but managed to hold the seventh position.
In the WRC2 category, Kajetan Kajetanowicz took the lead, placing eighth overall. Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 for the first time, the Polish driver edged out rivals Gus Greensmith and Jan Solans. Oliver Solberg, who had led earlier, lost significant time after getting stuck in deep fesh-fesh sand during the seventh stage.
As the rally progresses into Saturday, competitors face six more stages covering 146.50 kilometers, promising further challenges in this iconic event.