Safari Rally Kenya crowns a first-time winner
Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta won his first World Rally Championship round on Kenya’s famous rough roads.
Key points
- Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston (Toyota Gazoo Racing) won WRC Safari Rally Kenya, held on 12–15 March 2026.
- They won by 27.4 seconds; it was Katsuta’s first World Rally Championship victory.
- The Safari Rally is one of the most famous and demanding events on the WRC calendar.
The 2026 WRC Safari Rally Kenya, held from 12 to 15 March, produced a first-time winner. Japan's Takamoto Katsuta and his co-driver Aaron Johnston won for Toyota Gazoo Racing by 27.4 seconds.
It was Katsuta's first victory in the FIA World Rally Championship.
A legendary event
The Safari Rally is one of the most famous events in motorsport. Its rough, rocky roads, dust and changeable weather around Naivasha test drivers and cars to the limit.
The rally returned to the World Championship calendar in 2021 after a long absence and has since become a fixture, bringing international visitors and television audiences to Kenya.
Why it matters
Hosting a round of a world championship is part of Kenya's growing role as a destination for global sport, alongside the 2029 World Athletics Championships and AFCON 2027.
Sources
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