This archive report was first published on 25 June 2021.
Thierry Neuville and Martin Wydaeghe of the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team have taken the overnight lead in the WRC Safari Rally after a grueling day of racing on June 25, 2021.
The Belgian duo won three of the six punishing gravel and sandy stages, carving out an 18.8-second lead over young Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta.
Neuville's Estonian teammate Ott Tänak finished the last stage of the day with no rubber on a front rim and held third place after Toyota rival Kalle Rovanperä got stuck in fesh-fesh 900 meters after the start of the last special and was towed off the racing line and out of a potential overnight lead.
Sebastien Ogier wasn't his usual clean and tidy self on the morning's loop and an overshoot, a minor coming together with a trackside ridge and a rear damper issue proved costly for the Frenchman. He slipped to seventh overall before climbing back to fourth at the expense of both of the M-Sport Ford Fiestas.
Briton Gus Greensmith finished the leg in fifth in his Ford, and Adrien Fourmaux was sixth after setting the third-quickest time on the last stage of the day.
Both Toyota Gazoo Racing and the Hyundai Shell Mobis team lost one of their cars on the first loop. Elfyn Evans's WRC title challenge suffered a major setback when he clouted a rock within 300 meters of the finish of the first Kedong stage and damaged the front-right-hand suspension of the Yaris.
It was a bitter blow for the Welshman who, like Hyundai rival Dani Sordo, was forced into Rally2 by one unfortunate mistake. Sordo also clouted a rock, spun his i20, and was sidelined for the day in an incident that easily could have been far more costly in terms of damage.
