Rovanpera a cut above the rest at the Safari after day II round one

Defending World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera was a class above the rest of the field after the Friday morning loop of the second day of the WRC Safari rally. 

The 23-year old Finn blasted through the opening state of Loldia albeit nursing under steer problems that bogged the rest of the field in the morning loop eventually amassing a 15.5 seconds lead in the Safari rally charts ahead of Hyundai's Esapekka Lapi. 

Rovanpera did a clean sweep of all the three opening stages of Loldia, Geothermal and Kedong underlining his Safari rally credentials that propelled him to victory in 2022. 

Hyundai have been keeping Toyota company in the top ranks and it was the same thing here with Esapekka Lappi nailing two second place finishes in Loldia and Geothermal with Ott Tanak claiming second position in Kedong stage albeit 11.1 seconds behind stage winner Rovanpera. 

It was however a not very smooth running for Championship leader Thierry Neuville who suffered puncture on his rear-right in Geothermal stage leaving him and co-driver Martin Jarveoja donning masks and googles for the Kedong stage. 

"Luckily we had the masks and the windscreen somehow stayed clean,” he said afterwards. “It was okay, better than I thought," remarked Neuville after completing SS4 Kedong stage. 

In Kedong, Rovanpera was a cut above the rest as he put on a spotless performance to win the stage, 11.1seconds ahead of second placed Ott Tanak of Hyundai with his teammate Esapekka Lappi finishing 1.4 seconds behind. 

Toyota Gazoo Racing's Takamoto Katsuta who has secured two podium on the WRC Safari rally has been driving rather cautiously here as he currently occupies fourth position, 24.5 second behind third placed Ott Tanak. 

The drivers will repeat the same stages Friday afternoon as they battle to tackle the toughest rally in the world.