The 2026 edition of the WRC Safari Rally concluded in spectacular fashion this past weekend, solidifying its reputation as the World’s toughest rally.
The event saw Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta claim an emotional maiden WRC victory, breaking a long-standing drought for Japanese drivers that stretched back to 1992. Driving the relentless Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, Katsuta navigated the treacherous mud and fesh-fesh sand of Naivasha to continue Toyota’s modern era of dominance in Kenya.
The 2026 rally was a battle of endurance. While Toyota Gazoo Racing suffered major setbacks with three cars retiring on Saturday, Takamoto Katsuta held firm to secure his breakthrough win.
- Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) – 3h 16m 05.6s
- Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai) – +27.4s
- Sami Pajari (Toyota) – +4m 26.1s
- Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai) – +6m 07.3s
- Robert Virves (Škoda) – +11m 38.7s (WRC2 Winner)
Find the full WRC Safari Rally 2026 results HERE.
The Safari Rally has always been a unique blend of global competition and local heritage. In its early decades, the rally was the playground of Kenyan and East African heroes like Shekhar Mehta and Joginder Singh, who mastered the vast landscapes in rugged machines like the Datsun 160J and Volvo PV 544.
Highlights of the Legends
- The 2026 Champion: Takamoto Katsuta’s victory is a milestone for Toyota and Japan. It was a race of attrition where his teammates (Evans and Ogier) faced mechanical setbacks, allowing Taka to show his maturity and pace to take his first-ever WRC win.
- African Dominance: For decades, local knowledge was king. Shekhar Mehta remains the statistical GOAT with 5 wins, while Carl Tundo matched that record during the rally’s tenure in the African Rally Championship (ARC).
- Winning Machines: Mitsubishi and Toyota are tied for the most wins in Safari history (14 each). While Mitsubishi ruled the Group N and ARC era, Toyota has been unbeatable since the WRC returned to Kenya in 2021.
All Winners of the Safari Rally (1953–2026)
| Year | Driver | Co-Driver | Car |
| 1953 | 🇰🇪 Alan Dix | 🇰🇪 Johnny Larsen | Volkswagen Beetle |
| 1954 | 🇰🇪 D P Marwaha | 🇰🇪 Vic Preston Sr | Volkswagen Beetle |
| 1955 | 🇰🇪 Vic Preston Sr | 🇰🇪 D P Marwaha | Ford Zephyr |
| 1956 | 🇰🇪 Eric Cecil | 🇰🇪 Tony Vickers | DKW |
| 1957 | 🇰🇪 Gus Hofmann | 🇰🇪 Arthur Burton | Volkswagen Beetle |
| 1958 | 🇰🇪 T. Brooke | 🇰🇪 Peter Hughes | Ford Anglia 100E |
| 1958 | 🇰🇪 Arne Kopperud | 🇰🇪 Kora Kopperud | Ford Zephyr II |
| 1958 | 🇰🇪 M. Temple-Boreham | 🇰🇪 Mike Armstrong | Auto Union 1000 |
| 1959 | 🇰🇪 Bill Fritschy | 🇰🇪 Jack Ellis | Mercedes-Benz 219 |
| 1960 | 🇰🇪 Bill Fritschy | 🇰🇪 Jack Ellis | Mercedes-Benz 219 |
| 1961 | 🇰🇪 John Manussis | 🇰🇪 B. Coleridge / D. Bekett | Mercedes-Benz 220SE |
| 1962 | 🇰🇪 Tommy Fjastad | 🇰🇪 Bernhard Schmider | Volkswagen 1200 |
| 1963 | 🇰🇪 Nick Nowicki | 🇰🇪 Paddy Cliff | Peugeot 404 |
| 1964 | 🇰🇪 Peter Hughes | 🇰🇪 Bill Young | Ford Cortina GT |
| 1965 | 🇰🇪 Joginder Singh | 🇰🇪 Jaswant Singh | Volvo PV 544 |
| 1966 | 🇹🇿 Bert Shankland | 🇹🇿 Chris Rothwell | Peugeot 404 |
| 1967 | 🇹🇿 Bert Shankland | 🇹🇿 Chris Rothwell | Peugeot 404 |
| 1968 | 🇰🇪 Nick Nowicki | 🇰🇪 Paddy Cliff | Peugeot 404 |
| 1969 | 🇰🇪 Robin Hillyar | 🇰🇪 Jock Aird | Ford Taunus 20M RS |
| 1970 | 🇰🇪 Edgar Herrmann | 🇩🇪 Hans Schüller | Datsun 1600 SSS |
| 1971 | 🇰🇪 Edgar Herrmann | 🇩🇪 Hans Schüller | Datsun 240Z |
| 1972 | 🇫🇮 Hannu Mikkola | 🇸🇪 Gunnar Palm | Ford Escort RS1600 |
| 1973 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Lofty Drews | Datsun 240Z |
| 1974 | 🇰🇪 Joginder Singh | 🇰🇪 David Doig | Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR |
| 1975 | 🇸🇪 Ove Andersson | 🇸🇪 Arne Hertz | Peugeot 504 |
| 1976 | 🇰🇪 Joginder Singh | 🇰🇪 David Doig | Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR |
| 1977 | 🇸🇪 Björn Waldegård | 🇸🇪 Hans Thorszelius | Ford Escort RS1800 |
| 1978 | 🇫🇷 J-P. Nicolas | 🇫🇷 J-C. Lefèbvre | Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé |
| 1979 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Mike Doughty | Datsun 160J |
| 1980 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Mike Doughty | Datsun 160J |
| 1981 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Mike Doughty | Nissan Violet GT |
| 1982 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Mike Doughty | Nissan Violet GT |
| 1983 | 🇫🇮 Ari Vatanen | 🇬🇧 Terry Harryman | Opel Ascona 400 |
| 1984 | 🇸🇪 Björn Waldegård | 🇸🇪 Hans Thorszelius | Toyota Celica TCT |
| 1985 | 🇫🇮 Juha Kankkunen | 🇬🇧 Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica TCT |
| 1986 | 🇸🇪 Björn Waldegård | 🇬🇧 Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica TCT |
| 1987 | 🇫🇮 Hannu Mikkola | 🇸🇪 Arne Hertz | Audi 200 Quattro |
| 1988 | 🇮🇹 Miki Biasion | 🇮🇹 Tiziano Siviero | Lancia Delta HF Integrale |
| 1989 | 🇮🇹 Miki Biasion | 🇮🇹 Tiziano Siviero | Lancia Delta HF Integrale |
| 1990 | 🇸🇪 Björn Waldegård | 🇬🇧 Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica GT-Four |
| 1991 | 🇫🇮 Juha Kankkunen | 🇫🇮 Juha Piironen | Lancia Delta HF Integrale |
| 1992 | 🇪🇸 Carlos Sainz | 🇪🇸 Luis Moya | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD |
| 1993 | 🇫🇮 Juha Kankkunen | 🇫🇮 Juha Piironen | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD |
| 1994 | 🇰🇪 Ian Duncan | 🇰🇪 David Williamson | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD |
| 1995 | 🇯🇵 Yoshio Fujimoto | 🇸🇪 Arne Hertz | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD |
| 1996 | 🇫🇮 Tommi Mäkinen | 🇫🇮 Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III |
| 1997 | 🇬🇧 Colin McRae | 🇬🇧 Nicky Grist | Subaru Impreza WRC97 |
| 1998 | 🇬🇧 Richard Burns | 🇬🇧 Robert Reid | Mitsubishi Carisma GT |
| 1999 | 🇬🇧 Colin McRae | 🇬🇧 Nicky Grist | Ford Focus WRC |
| 2000 | 🇬🇧 Richard Burns | 🇬🇧 Robert Reid | Subaru Impreza WRC00 |
| 2001 | 🇫🇮 Tommi Mäkinen | 🇫🇮 Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.5 |
| 2002 | 🇬🇧 Colin McRae | 🇬🇧 Nicky Grist | Ford Focus RS WRC 02 |
| 2003 | 🇰🇪 Glen Edmunds | 🇰🇪 Titch Phillips | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI |
| 2004 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Subaru Impreza |
| 2005 | 🇰🇪 Glen Edmunds | 🇰🇪 Des Page-Morris | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII |
| 2006 | 🇰🇪 Azar Anwar | 🇰🇪 George Mwangi | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI |
| 2007 | 🇿🇼 Conrad Rautenbach | 🇿🇼 Peter Marsh | Subaru Impreza N10 |
| 2008 | 🇰🇪 Lee Rose | 🇰🇪 Piers Daykin | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2009 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2010 | 🇰🇪 Lee Rose | 🇰🇪 Piers Daykin | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2011 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2012 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2013 | 🇰🇪 Baldev Chager | 🇰🇪 Ravi Soni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2014 | 🇰🇪 Baldev Chager | 🇰🇪 Ravi Soni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2015 | 🇰🇪 J. S. Chatthe | 🇰🇪 Gurdeep Panesar | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2016 | 🇰🇪 J. S. Chatthe | 🇰🇪 Gurdeep Panesar | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2017 | 🇫🇮 Tapio Laukkanen | 🇰🇪 Gavin Laurence | Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
| 2018 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2019 | 🇰🇪 Baldev Chager | 🇰🇪 Ravi Soni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2020 | Cancelled | COVID-19 | — |
| 2021 | 🇫🇷 Sébastien Ogier | 🇫🇷 Julien Ingrassia | Toyota Yaris WRC |
| 2022 | 🇫🇮 Kalle Rovanperä | 🇫🇮 Jonne Halttunen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |
| 2023 | 🇫🇷 Sébastien Ogier | 🇫🇷 Vincent Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |
| 2024 | 🇫🇮 Kalle Rovanperä | 🇫🇮 Jonne Halttunen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |
| 2025 | 🇬🇧 Elfyn Evans | 🇬🇧 Scott Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |
| 2026 | 🇯🇵 Takamoto Katsuta | 🇮🇪 Aaron Johnston | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |