Takamoto Katsuta edges closer to maiden Safari Rally victory
The driver Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston of Team Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, face the first day of the race during the FIA World Rally Championship WRC Safari Rally in Naivasha, Kenya, on March 13, 2026. (Photo by Luca Barsali/NurPhoto) (Photo by Luca Barsali / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP)
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Curtains fall on the 2026 Safari Rally this afternoon, with thousands of fans still streaming into Hell’s Gate National Park for the decisive Wolf Power Stage.
A huge traffic snarl-up was felt early Sunday morning along the Naivasha–Nakuru route as spectators attempted to access the stages, particularly the iconic Hell’s Gate National Park. Fans began arriving as early as 4am, creating long queues of vehicles heading into the park hours before the rally’s final test.
On the stages, Takamoto Katsuta moved a step closer to his first victory at the Safari Rally Kenya after ending Saturday as the overnight leader in the 2026 edition.
Katsuta heads into the rally’s final test, SS20 Hell’s Gate 2 — the Wolf Power Stage — with a 42.0-second advantage over Adrien Fourmaux of Hyundai Motorsport.
The decisive stage is scheduled to start at 13:15 and will bring the curtain down on another bruising edition of the Safari.
This year’s rally — the sixth since the event returned to the World Rally Championship calendar in 2021 — has again lived up to its reputation, with two stages cancelled due to deteriorating road conditions following heavy rains.
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