This archive report was first published on 27 June 2021.
On June 27, 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta awarded the winner of the 2020 World Rally Championship, the Safari Rally, to Sebastian Ogier and his navigator Julien Ingrassia in Naivasha.
Ogier, a seven-time world rally champion, recovered from suspension trouble on the final day to clinch victory on the 2021 WRC Safari Rally Kenya.
He landed an advantage when event leader Thierry Neuville's hopes of winning came to an end after breaking his Hyundai i20 suspension in Sunday's morning stage.
Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta would assume the rally lead, but Ogier claimed two stage wins on Sunday, gradually slicing Katsuta's lead.
Sebastian Ogier finally claimed victory by 21.8 seconds, becoming the first Safari Rally winner as the event commemorated its return to the World Rally Championship since 2002.
"It's been an amazing experience to be here. The support we got from the local people was incredible. It might be a bit shorter than the old days, but the challenge is still very tough," said Ogier.
Japanese Takamoto Katsuta finished second overall for his maiden world rally championship podium, while Hyundai's Ott Tanak sealed the podium places third despite a series of mishaps through the event.
Ogier now extends his lead in the championship standings to 133 points; 33 points more than teammate Elfyn Evans.
There were also impressive returns for the local drivers, with Kenya's Onkar Rai hanging on to his class lead to finish seventh overall and win the WRC3 class.
