WRC Kenya: Local hero

Unsurprisingly for such a specialised event, Kenyan drivers have played a big role in the history of the Safari Rally. The first WRC edition in 1973 was won by Safari specialist Shekhar Mehta: the first of five victories he would claim against some of the world's best. Another local expert, Ian Duncan, was a Toyota team-mate of Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen, winning in 1994. More recently, Carl Tundo has been the benchmark, matching Mehta's tally of five wins and still competing in WRC2 today.

Now, to coincide with the return of the WRC, a new generation of Kenyan rally talent is being developed. A trio of youngsters were selected as part of the FIA Rally Star initiative ahead of the 2021 Safari, and Jeremy Wahome (a former Formula 3 racer) finished 16th overall in what was his first ever rally.

McRae Kimathi – named after legendary Scottish driver Colin McRae – went on to become African junior champion, earning a full season in the Junior WRC last year. And in 2023, that opportunity has gone to 24-year-old Hamza Anwar. The Safari isn't part of the Junior WRC schedule – which has already taken Anwar to Sweden, Croatia and Sardinia this year – but all three drivers are competing for WRC3 honours on their home event. And if they can master the demands of the Safari, they can surely handle anything else that the rally world can throw at them.