The WRC Safari Rally Kenya has once again proved why it is the most feared event on the global motorsport calendar. After a Saturday of absolute carnage that saw title contenders swallowed by the “Sleeping Warrior” stage, Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta has emerged from the dust and mud to hold a commanding lead heading into the final day.
In a dramatic turn of events that felt more like a movie script than a rally, Katsuta climbed from seventh place to the top of the leaderboard, surviving a day that decimated his teammates and rivals alike.
The Saturday afternoon was defined by the legendary Sleeping Warrior stage, a stretch of road known for breaking both cars and hearts. The first pass through the stage was a graveyard for the leaders:
Oliver Solberg, who had been driving a flawless rally, saw his lead vanish in the African bush.
Legendary Sebastien Ogier and title-chaser Elfyn Evans were also forced into retirement following the brutal conditions.
The mayhem was so intense that rally organizers were forced to cancel the second run (SS16) of Sleeping Warrior, citing that conditions had become too dangerous even for emergency rescue vehicles to access the stage.
While his teammates fell, Katsuta kept his cool. “It’s very stressful to drive like this,” the Japanese star admitted. “It’s definitely easier when you are fighting for tenths of seconds than when you are just trying to survive.” He added.
Katsuta now sits just four stages away from a maiden WRC victory. However, he isn’t home safe yet. He carries a lead over Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux, who has opted for a “survival-first” strategy to protect his car’s cooling system from the thick Kenyan mud.
The leaderboard currently looks like a “last man standing” list:
Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota): Leading and eyeing his first-ever win.
Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai): In second, nursing a weary i20 N Rally1.
Sami Pajari: In a shock third place after powering past a puncture-stricken Esapekka Lappi.
Further down the field, the sheer difficulty of the 2026 Safari is evident—Skoda’s WRC2 leader Robert Virves remarkably sits in 5th place overall, proving that in Kenya, consistency beats raw speed every time.
The Final Showdown
Tomorrow’s final leg consists of four stages covering 57 kilometers. For Katsuta, it is a sprint for glory. For the rest of the field, it is a battle for “Super Sunday” bonus points as retired crews like Neuville, Ogier, and Evans return to the stages to salvage what they can.
