French stars Loeb, Ogier keen to compete at Safari Rally

Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier respectively are set to return to Kenya to battle again for the Safari Rally leg of the World Rally Championship in June.

The two megastar Frenchmen, who share 17 world titles between them, have expressed their desire to return to Kenya for the Safari which will be the fifth stop of the WRC calendar.

Ogier, who won last year’s world championship when asked about his prospects of making a return to Africa, said: “It’s a rally I consider in my championship campaign of four or five rallies.

“I really enjoyed the rally last year with the nature and the people and the welcome we got. There’s such enthusiasm for the rally. I have nothing to confirm, but this is one I consider, definitely.”

Monte Carlo winner Loeb, who finished fifth in Kenya 20 years ago, missed last year’s event in Naivasha, but was here in 2002.

“I have incredible memories from the Safari Rally back in 2002. The design was completely different from the other rallies. The animals and everything – the place is amazing. You see things you never see anywhere else. It was good to be there and I think it’s good to have Safari Rally Kenya.”

Loeb will have to find a way to navigate his other commitments with Bahrain Raid Xtreme in the World Rally-Raid Championship – which he began with second on the Dakar earlier this month.

It’s very important to note that WRC commitments have to fit around those championships, not the other way around, which makes some rounds harder to visit than others for Loeb.

Kenyan audiences are already dazzled with the super-cars that have been lined up by the top three manufacturers that includes reigning champions Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hyundai Motorsport and M-Sport Ford for the championships.

The plug-in hybrid-powered cars are built around an upgraded safety cell chassis, 100 percent fossil-free fuel and sustainable energy supplies that are key to the sport’s commitment to a greener future.