Solberg maintains lead at Safari Rally Kenya as Evans retires

Oliver Solberg remains at the top of the leaderboard at Safari Rally Kenya following a demanding Saturday morning loop. Despite facing multiple obstacles, including a half-spin, double punctures, and a loss of visibility due to depleted windscreen washer fluid, the Swede entered the midday service with a 42.6-second lead.

The day’s action was defined by the retirement of championship leader Elfyn Evans. The Welshman, who was running in second position, was forced to withdraw after sustaining terminal rear-right suspension damage on his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 during the 31km Sleeping Warrior stage.

Sébastien Ogier capitalized on the chaos to move into second overall. While the nine-time world champion also battled tyre issues early in the loop, a strong performance on the final stage allowed him to close the gap on the leader. Meanwhile, Takamoto Katsuta moved into third place as the grueling conditions forced further changes in the top ten standings, leaving several competitors, including Sami Pajari, to recover from significant time losses.