- The 2025 Safari Rally Kenya will be held between March 20 and March 23.
- Legendary driver Juha Kankkunen is expected to compete in this year’s edition.
- Kankkunen’s compatriot Kalle Rovanperä has talked high of him ahead of the showdown.
Multiple Safari Rally champion Juha Kankkunen is set to return this year in the highly anticipated event that will start on March 20.
Kankkunen, who was the maiden driver to secure a Safari Rally title on first attempt in 1985, is set to replace Jari-Matti Latvala.
Latvala recently stepped aside from his role as the Toyota Gazoo Racing team principal to focus on a personal project.
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Speaking ahead of the championship that is scheduled to take place between Thursday, March 20 and Sunday, March 23 in Nakuru County, the reigning champion Kalle Rovanperä talked highly of Kankkunen.
“It is really cool to have Juha in Safari now for the first time. I am really good friends with him and of course he has a crazy amount of experience.
Of course, it’s been a bit of a few years already, but yeah, it’s cool to see him there and I think he always brings a really positive feeling and yeah, I think we can work together with him really well,” he explained.
Rovanperä, who has won the Safari Rally two times (2022 and 2024) in his promising career further stated that the Safari Rally presents an opportunity for his team to bounce back from the slow start to the season.
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According to the 24-year-old Finnish driver, they stand a good chance of shining in Kenya, where they have attained immense success in recent years.
“It has not been the easiest start to the season. But still, we are not too far from the fight, and year, of course, now when we go on gravel we have a new chance to again start to push harder and try to get back into the fight. All our drivers and the team have been really good.
We just need to get all the pieces together on our end and I think, then of course we can be really strong also and hopefully, we can continue with the same phase with the whole team. Safari is definitely one of the most special rallies of the season and is always really cool to go back there and try to have a good result. I think this year we really need a good result from there. So, hopefully, we can do it,” ended Rovanperä.
Kankkunen’s achievements ahead of Safari Rally
- Kankkunen registered his first Safari Rally victory in 1985 which was also his first World Rally Championship win.
- The 65-year-old was the first driver to win the Safari Rally event on his first attempt.
- The Finnish driver is a four time World Rally Champion (1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993).
- Kankkunen has three Safari Rally wins under his belt (1985, 1991 and 1993).
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