This archive report was first published on 9 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 won the rally by a margin of seconds rather than minutes, praised the stages as fast and smooth, saying it was one of the best achievements in his rallying career.
"I must say this year's rally was superbly organised," Chager told Nation Sport on Monday.
Chager's victory has left it to the WRC organisers, FIA, to assess the event and communicate with the Safari Rally secretariat. Local fans of rallying are 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."
"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," Ciesla added.
WRC Safari Rally Project CEO Phineas Kimathi said he was happy with the support his team got from many quarters that made the rally a success.
Senior FIA officials, led by Michelle Mouton, checked the rally stages to ensure everything was done according to the FIA standards.
