This archive report was first published on 8 July 2019.
On Sunday, Baldev Chager won the World Rally Championship (WRC) candidate event rally for the third time in his career, and he has expressed his satisfaction with the organisation of the Safari Rally.
Chager, who spoke to Nation Sport on Monday, said: 'I must say this year’s rally was superbly organised. I would rate my victory this year as one of the best achievements in my rallying career.'
He praised the stages, saying they were fast and smooth, and that the rally was won by a margin of seconds rather than minutes, indicating the stages were fast and entertaining.
Chager's win has now left it to WRC organisers FIA to assess the event and communicate to the Safari Rally secretariat, with local fans of rallying eagerly awaiting the Safari Rally's return to the WRC after 17 years.
Oliver Ciesla, the Managing Director of World Rally Championship Promoters, said during the prize-giving ceremony on Sunday in Naivasha: 'We have come and seen the rally. I must say it was well organised. A meeting of senior members of the FIA, the president and his team will be conveyed in the next few weeks.'
He added: 'We would not like Kenyans to wait for long for the actual response and report. But let me tell you this, we are coming back next year.'
WRC Safari Rally Project CEO Phineas Kimathi expressed his happiness with the support his team received from many quarters that made the rally a success.
He said: 'It has been great work by Kenyans for Kenya. I am happy with how we ran the event, and I’m now waiting for feedback from FIA on the way forward. Kenyans will have a concrete answer in five weeks when the world motorsports body holds its next meeting.'
Senior FIA officials, led by Michelle Mouton, checked the rally stages to ensure everything was done according to the FIA standards.
