NAIVASHA, Kenya: Finland's Kalle Rovanpera won the Kenya Safari Rally for the first time on Sunday to stretch his lead at the top of the world championship standings.
The victory is the fourth podium finish in six races this season for the impressive 21-year-old who remained dominant after a major scare when his Toyota rolled in Friday's Superspecial stage outside Nairobi.
"It feels great to win the Safari. I have to say this was the hardest rally I have ever done, and to be honest, we have to thank our team'', Rovanpera said.
The race was dominated by Toyota with Britain's Elfyn Evans taking second 52.8sec behind and Japan's Takamoto Katsuta, who finished runner-up last year, dropping into third, 1min 42.7sec behind the winner.
Last year's Safari Rally winner Sebastian Ogier, who was the quickest in the morning powerstage dress rehearsal, was over two minutes adrift in fourth.
It was Toyota's first clean sweep of the top places in the Safari Rally since Rovanpera's compatriot Juha Kakkunen led a 1-2-3 in the 1993 edition.
Rovanpera also went one place than his father Harri, who took the runner-up spot behind Britain's Colin McRae in the 2002 edition of the race in East Africa.
The championship continues with the Estonia rally from July 14 to 17. — AFP
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