This archive report was first published on 4 July 2021.
Published on July 4, 2021, the WRC Safari Rally was a thrilling event that saw several drivers' chances of winning either made or broken by a series of defining moments.
One such moment came on the third day of the rally when Frenchman Thierry Neuville of Hyundai led the rally with a 20-second advantage. However, the Safari 'gods' had a different plan, and Neuville's car suffered damage on its rear wheel, which he initially thought was a puncture.
Unfortunately, the damage was more severe than Neuville had anticipated, and the shock mount gave way, causing the vehicle to sink from the rear right back. Despite his frustration, Neuville made it to the end of the section but was forced to bow out of the rally.
Andrea Adamo, the Hyundai Team Principal, later stated, 'The set up they were using for the Hyundai was similar to what they used in the rally of Turkey and Sardinia. Meaning that we are doing something wrong.'
Neuville's retirement opened the door for Toyota's dominance, with Sebastian Ogier and Takamoto Katsuta both putting up impressive performances. Ogier, who had better tires than Katsuta, planned to turn that to his advantage and won the event without robbing his teammate of a podium finish.
Takamoto Katsuta, on the other hand, gained from his consistency and managed to keep Ott Tanak at bay to clinch second place and gain his first podium finish. Although a win for Katsuta would have been the perfect gift from him to his people ahead of the Olympics, it was not meant to be.
Elfyn Evans and Kale Rovanpera also had their share of misfortunes, with Evans' Toyota Gazoo hitting a rock and shattering part of the suspension, forcing him to retire for the day. Rovanpera's Toyota Yaris got buried in the deep fine dust, ending his Friday action.
