How Evans followed WRC Safari Masters MCRAE and Burns in the footsteps

Elephin Evans It is now a member of a special club of three, which incorporates Colin Machary and Richard Burns the most difficult event in the World Rally Championship – Safari Rally as the British winner of Kenya.

For a magic, British drivers ruled the African classic with McAcre and unlocked the secret to win this fierce test of the driver and machine by winning five out of six versions from 1997–2002; Burns MCRAE, ’98 and ‘in ’97, ’99 and ’02.

On the route to win the rally for the second time 25 years ago – 12 months before the season of your world title with Subaru – Burns said: “If you reach the end of a section in a piece, you usually have a good time. If I was set the fastest, I can probably win very fast as you can win the event until you go through the event,”

Over the last weekend, it appears that Evans followed this advice, this advice established only three fastest time to win with 21 fierce stages. A win that continues its best start for the WRC campaign. Like Old Safari, it was a rally that was not second to seconds.

“I think we had said before the beginning that it would be the most extreme safari that we have seen. I think you need to leave a little in the reserve and I think it was important to me,” Evans said, said, after Evans and Co-Operations Scott martin The prestigious Rhino trophies presented to Safari winners.

The modern Safari rally is no longer a thousand kilometers of marathon, which faced Mcarare and Burns, but the previous weekend proved that it has now expanded the 384 km modern version, yet the global motorsport is the most cruel. It continues, where a mixture of speed, patience and fate is required to be successful. Toyota’s team was established as principal in place of absent Zari-lat For the weekend, three -time safari winner Juha knows one or two things about taming Kankkunen at wild spring stages. So when he accepted this year’s incident, it was the toughest modern safari, it all says this.

Evans chews the most demanded modern safari

The crew knew that this version had the ability to go to a notch in difficulty, given the fact that their repetition cars were also difficult to cross the stages when making packed. Recently heavy rains meant that the verge of grass was very high, hiding potential threats and roads had beaten one by weather.

Hyundai Oat Tanak It has been described as the best: “Roads are not really ready and there are some huge stones this year, so there are more technical sections, so the safari is always demanding, but this year it seems a bit extra. The key will be a good rhythm without survival and trouble.”

While Evans opened the rally with an initial lead after winning Nairobi Super Special, Tanak was a passagers on Friday morning, with three of the four stages of Kenya’s new car breaker, Camp Moran, three of the four stages.

This camp was the Moran test that would have a sting in the tail. Evans were alerting correctly, shown to cruel rocky classes, after which the fash-fishe sand was ready to snatch a rally car. Hyundai Adrian Formox And WRC2 Leader Oliver solberg Both stayed there, with a broken suspension for the East, while the latter got stuck in the sand.

Now equipped with a 36-point lead, the biggest difference in the history of WRC after three rounds, upgrading its four-time runner tag to the world champion is increasing rapidly. But he’s not getting away in specific evans style

Tanak took a joint 50.1S from Evans through his two passes to open a lead of 46.1s. However, Tanak’s i20N was injured as a driving failure forced Estonian to lame Estonia as the third, 55.4S new leader Evans through the remaining stages of Friday.

Evans’ Toyota Team-Mate and two-time safari winner Kalle Rowanpera closed within 7.7 as their nearest rival. But the safari will reap again on Saturday. Evans faced a puncture and a spin in the morning, but the Rowanpera picked up a pair of tires, the other because of taking action to avoid zebra.

The torrential rains then fell in the afternoon, which makes the steps filled with water severely Gregor Munter It was claimed that the rally was more suitable for “jet ski” than the car. Evans took care and unfortunately lucky to recover from a spin, before he hit an unseen rock, who hit an unseen rock, which damaged his left-rear suspension. Evans gave some advice to the Rowanpera, who fashioned a mekshift repair using shaft straps to retain their suspension, but lost for more than six minutes because Finn served back for service in fifth.

Even when he hit the Rowanpera and Tanak, after the troubles he gained a 1M57.4S on Tanak, Evans were never decent.

“This has definitely been a proper safari so far. A two-minute lead, usually you will say that it will guarantee a win, but not really here. I will try to drive well and after a few steps I will see if (super Sunday) digits may be possible and we will continue to go for them, but I am not going for an all-out-based attack tomorrow,” Evans, 2000s will not be a reputation for them. Is.

Evans had scared a minor on Sunday as he chose back to seal the win from Tanak to 1m09.9S, and the back-to-back WRC wins for the first time in his career. World champion rule Thierry neurville The third, 3M32S from Evans was recovered from the numerous of reliability issues and health concerns to eliminate 3m32s.

The Safari rally plan of Evans did the same as for Macker and Burns.

“This is a special event. It is like a Monte Carlo Win or Rally GB victory or Finland, so I am now missing Monte,” Ivans smiled.

Now equipped with a 36 -point lead on Neuville, the biggest difference in the history of WRC after three rounds, upgrading its four -time runner tag to the world champion is increasing rapidly. But he is not moving away in the specific evos style. “It doesn’t matter, it is a very early day and it does not mean anything yet,” he said.

However, it looks like the initial title. Favorite Rowanpara will need to produce his best to claim the third crown after an alternator issue on Sunday, forcing him to a retirement, leaving him 57 points from Evans.

“Of course this is not the best feeling, I am disappointed, but it is the same,” Rovanpara said, which is better than his snow and asphalt rubber, appeared to be suited to the gravel tires of the cukkuk.

“Everything came during the same weekend and we had no luck with many things. It’s not the best weekend, we cannot do anything to change everything that happened. At some point we should get a good result.”

Hyundai turns tables on Toyota

Toyota may have continued his 100% unbeaten run by winning his fifth consecutive Safari, but the Safari rally Kings were placed second by Hyundai, as Tanak’s second place and the third point of Neurville to Kenya’s best returns from Korean brand.

Prior to this year, Hyundai’s Safari record has been raised as the issues of credibility have limited the team to the third of only one podium, Tanak in 2021 with the last four attempts.

Issues of credibility continued to plague it this year, in which the drivers were seen to be weak objects, but the lesson is certainly learned. It was not denied that i20 N moved the most situations in the drought, perhaps the best performance by the Tanak winning camp Moran, before the neurville repeated the tricks by a stunning 22.4S in the second pass.

“This is not a victory for us, but it definitely seems the same. We know that we have come a long way on this rally” Cyaril absbol

However, the i20 n was suffering from the force that went through it, because the failure of Tanak’s driving was a hit, while cooling issues meant neurville and co-operators Martijan widegheFinishing the disease from dehydration, the stage was fined for the 50s to be late. After Hyundai selected a problem in Thursday’s stage two, after being selected to replace Driveshaf and Gearbox, Newville had already taken a fine of six minutes late on the stage of six minutes. It came to the top of the 10s penalty for the start in the stage five. Incredibly, at the end of Friday, Neurville would have led the rally, punishing them to avoid two -minute punishment.

When the sky was opened on Saturday, Hyundai was left to hold in stages filled with water. Drivers also had a poor visibility from misunderstanding the windscreen, which forced co-operatives to martiazen wideghe and Martin jarveja To use their simplicity to fashion a mekshift D -Misting device – finally a selfie stick with a cloth.

But there was a dramatic role in the final stages after the retirement of Rowanpera. Takmoto katsususaThose who surrendered in fifth place after failing to run their injured Toyota under the last time control, meant that Evans was Toyota’s only point scorer. Sami Pajari Enjoyed a relatively trouble -free medane safari to finish fourth, but the manufacturer is not registered to score the manufacturer points for Toyota’s main team.

“It was demanding, but is quite positive at the end,” said Tanak. “Definitely we had some failures on Friday when we lost in a few minutes but then on Saturday and Sunday we managed to come without many large -scale troubles. Finally two cars on the podium for Hyundai show that some steps have been taken.”

After the formox took a maximum of 10 super Sunday points after sitting out on Saturday, Hyundai scored 50 points at 28 of Toyota, shutting down the difference on the champion of the 26 -point reign.

Hyundai’s boss Cyril Abytbol said, “This is not a win for us, but it definitely looks the same.” “We know that we have traveled a long way on this rally and not only at the end of this week, as we know that the credibility of this car was not at the right levels. But the team hates because it is already a big step that it used to be that it used to happen.”

M-Sport shows its safari flexibility

There was also a reward for M-Sport-Ford which again showed flexibility in the most difficult situations. The Munter, grieving for his grandfather, took a bravery, who died during a shakedown. He finished third on Thursday before a series of puncture, resulting in a suspension failure and a gearbox issue, Luxembourg cured the sixth, 11M35.3s with victory.

Munter also won his second career stage in Crazy Stage 15, as M-Sport recorded his first 1-2 since 2023, in which Ruki Josh McRelen supported the Pumma’s speed. McRlen finished fourth on Friday, but after losing about 30 minutes, repairing a broken steering arm on Saturday, due to the failure of Catsuta ended within the 10th position.

The team’s principal Richard Milner said, “I think despite the drama we faced in Kenya, we have made a lot of positive weekends overall.”

“A single crew is not unheard of this week, and our rally is 100% finish rate for 1 crew, they are all finishing within the top 10, an incredible achievement.”