Oliver Solberg leads Safari Rally Kenya as Toyota dominates morning loop

Oliver Solberg continues to pace the field at Safari Rally Kenya after Friday morning's stages. Despite a small excursion into the brush on the opening test that cost him roughly 10 seconds, the Swede managed his lead effectively to reach the mid-day service with a 28.8-second cushion. The morning schedule was impacted by the cancellation of SS3 due to challenging terrain conditions caused by overnight rain.

Toyota currently holds the top five positions in the overall classification. Championship leader Elfyn Evans remains in second despite early brake complications, with Sébastien Ogier closely following in third after a competitive push. Meanwhile, Sami Pajari delivered a standout performance for the team, rebounding from a near-incident on SS4 to secure back-to-back stage victories on the Geothermal and Kedong tests.

Elsewhere, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville occupies sixth place while battling a series of technical hurdles, including engine power loss and a puncture. M-Sport Ford’s Jon Armstrong continues to impress in his Rally1 debut in eighth, while Gus Greensmith maintains his advantage in the WRC2 category despite a late-morning tire issue that allowed Robert Virves to close the gap.