Rebecka Mongold
The 2026 Safari Rally will end on Sunday, bringing to an end the six-year contract to have it back on the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar Toyota Gazoo’s Takamoto Katsuta leads the standings ahead of day four after dramatic retirements and cancellations on Saturday WRC Promoter Simon Larkin has spoken about the renewal talks and what they will be looking at to renew the deal beyond 2026 The 2026 Safari Rally will end on Sunday with a lot of disquiet on whether the event will be renewed for subsequent years.
Kenya’s Safari Rally contract with WRC will end in 2026. Photo credit: OfficialWRC.
Source: Twitter Top drivers have gone wheel-to-wheel on the punishing stages of Naivasha since 2021. The event was reinstated to the world calendar after a 19-year hiatus, and it hasn’t disappointed since.
Fans have continued to stream into Naivasha to watch the World Rally Championship (WRC) event year in and year out, inspiring a massive boost to local tourism. For the drivers, it is an event they have always dreaded and relished in equal measure, with the Safari Rally often deemed the most challenging stop in the calendar.
Will Safari Rally’s WRC contract be renewed? But amid this, the government is set for crucial talks with the WRC Promoter over renewing its contract with the WRC as the initial six-year deal nears its end. The government has already expressed its desire to renew the deal with President William Ruto, who is set to meet with the WRC team on Sunday.
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A decision is not expected immediately but rather in the coming weeks. Among the issues that will be discussed will be the entry of more private investment into the Safari Rally.
After almost single-handedly financing the rally for the last five years, the government this year opened the door to more private investment, a situation both sides want to continue.
“The President knows this and shares this view: if this transition had not already begun, we would not have returned because, in my opinion, a government is not capable of organising such events,” said Simon Larkin, Senior Events Director for WRC Promoter, GmbH to Autohebdof 1. Drivers slam dangerous decisions at Safari Rally Apart from funding, the other question, and perhaps the most crucial one, will be whether the event is still suitable for modern cars. Much has always been said about the rugged terrain in Naivasha, but the number of breakdowns and retirements witnessed this year alone sparked strong comments from the drivers
“Seriously, organiser and FIA, what they’ve done here at the end is unacceptable. There are rocks everywhere; it’s dangerous. And they talk about safety, this is dangerous,” said Oliver Solberg, who before his retirement at SS12, was the race leader. Oliver Solberg, Elfyn Evans and Sebastian Ogier retired on Saturday, March 14, during the 2026 Safari Rally. Photo credit: OfficialWRC.
Source: Twitter Elfyn Evans, who won the Safari Rally last year, added,
“It’s an absolute joke. They put all these things in the finish to stop us cutting, after the recce, and now the stones are everywhere. I just went for the line and double puncture. It’s ridiculous. Completely out of order.” Larkin revealed that they are in talks with other African countries to potentially add another African stop to the WRC calendar, but none will be ready by 2027.
“We want to continue with Kenya because the event has brought as much to the WRC as the WRC has brought to the country, but this must be done with an organisation similar to this year’s, with government support and private partners providing single-handedly financing the rally for the last five years, the government this year opened the door to more private investment, ,” said Larkin. How much do WRC drivers earn? In a separate report, we explained how much WRC drivers earn amid the ongoing action in Naivasha.
The drivers compete in various countries, with the Safari Rally the only stop it makes in Africa.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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