Where do you start? Where can you start? Last week’s Safari Rally Kenya was one of the most astonishing rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship in recent history.
Every time the service park thought it had a handle on what might be coming next, Africa threw in a game-changing curved ball. And then it rained. Everybody knows what rain is, but you have to be in Africa to experience what real Safari Rally rain can do – the second run through Sleeping Warrior was unreal.
Watching the world’s best drivers trying to keep their cars in a straight line was like juggling with bars of wet soap… while ice skating.
Regardless of the weather, the reception from the local population in Naivasha was another seasonal highlight. Standing alongside packed crowds in service, the rain just isn’t a factor – umbrellas at the ready, the appreciation for these once-a-year heroes is absolute and unflinching.
Kenya always was a jewel in the rallying crown and last week cemented that position once more. It brought new meaning to the word challenging and simultaneously delivered emotion, action and colour on another level.
Rallying in this part of the world is different. The backdrop of giraffes and zebras will never be topped, but it’s when the clouds gather and roll their way through the Rift Valley that the place truly comes alive.
Safari Rally Kenya? Special as ever.
