GAZOO Racing team achieves yet another spectacular 1-2 finish at Safari Rally Kenya
THE GA OO Racing GR World Rally Team secured an outstanding one-two victory recently in the first Safari Rally Kenya to be held as part of the FIA World Rally Championship WRC for nearly 20 years.
Sebastien Ogier and codriver Julien Ingrassia pulled off a superb fightback in the No. 1 Toyota Yaris WRC to take their fourth win from six events and extend their Driver’s Championship lead to 34 points, while Takamoto Katsuta scored his first-ever WRC podium in the No. 18 Toyota Yaris WRC to complete a onetwo finish for the team.
The event lived up to its reputation as an extremely demanding rally. Ogier was in seventh place and more than two minutes off the lead on the second day, but charged back through the field to third overall going into the fourth and final day.
He successfully closed the gap on his teammate Katsuta, and with just two stages to go, the pair were tied on overall time and competed for the win right until the finish. Ogier claimed his seventh stage win during the race to move ahead before the one-two finish Toyota’s fourth this season was secured during the rallyending ower Stage.
Katsuta’s maiden podium finish is a landmark result for the TOYOTA GA OO Racing WRC Challenge rogram, which has helped to develop the Japanese driver’s talent since 2015. These points mean Toyota is now 59 points ahead in the manufacturers’ standings at the halfway stage of the season.
The team will look to further increase its lead at the next event, Rally Estonia July 15-18 , which takes place over
Result sees Toyota extend lead in FIA WRC Manufacturer’s Championship to 59 points
fast and smooth gravel roads with many crests and jumps, as well as some demanding technical sections.
Toyota Results: No. 1 Toyota Yaris WRC (Sébastien Ogier & Julien Ingrassia); Position: 1st; Time: 3h18m11.3s
No. 18 Toyota Yaris WRC (Takamoto Katsuta & Dan Barritt); Position: 2nd; Time: 3h18m33.1s.