Only one special stage was run in the World Rally of Kenya on Thursday.
World Rally Championship: Kenya
Situation after EK 1:
1. Ott Tänak, Ford, 3:14.3
2. Sébastien Ogier, Toyota, +0.1
3. Kalle Rovanperä, Toyota, +2.4
4. Thierry Neuville, Hyundai, +2.7
5. Elfyn Evans, Toyota, +3.3
6. Esapekka Lappi, Hyundai, +4.0
7. Katsuta Takamoto, Toyota, +5.1
8. Pierre-Louis Loubet, Ford, +8.0
9. Jourdan Serderidis, Ford, +11.3
10. Dani Sordo, Hyundai, +15.9
Kalle Rovanperän The World Rally Championship in Kenya got off to a bad start when the Finn finished third in the first EK of the rally. Rovanperä was the first to come Ott Tänakia 2.4 seconds slower.
Tänak won the EK by only a tenth of a second to Sébastien Ogier.
Thursday’s special test was run in pairs as a public special test. Although Rovanperä finished third, he won the second place in the World Championship by Thierry Neuville in his own couple. Neuville was 0.3 seconds behind Rovanpera.
– This year is a new and more difficult challenge. At least the start was better than last year, Rovanperä said after EK.
Rovanperä referred to the near-miss situation that happened in last year’s rally in Kenya, where he almost drove out in the first EK.
Broke the drive shaft of his car during a special test Esapekka Lappi lost his own pair to Sebastian Ogier by almost four seconds. Lapland was still sixth in the overall race, four seconds behind Tänak.
Only one special test was run on Thursday. The World Cup rally in Kenya continues on Friday morning at eight o’clock.
Rovanperä started the World Rally Championship in Kenya from the leading position in the series, 25 points ahead of second place Neuville. Esapekka Lappi is sixth in the series. Rovanperä won the World Rally Championship in Kenya last year.
Iltalehti follows the Kenyan World Cup Rally throughout the weekend.
Rovanperä dusted the sands of Kenya in Wednesday’s special test. PDO