WRC reigning champion Sébastien Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia had an impressive start to his Safari Rally event after winning the shakedown/opener. The Frenchman managed to set the fastest time on Kenyan soil for the first time in 19 years. On the 5.1 shakedown stages, he clocked an impressive time of 3:43.9 minutes.
Apparently Olgier was 0.3 seconds faster than Toyota Yaris team-mate Kalle Rovanpera who came in second at the curtain raising stage dubbed Super Special Kasarani (4.84km).
Welshman Elfyn Evans came in at 3rd place also in a Toyota Yaris while at 4th place was Estonian Ott Tanak in a Hyundai.
Onkar Rai was the fastest Kenyan in the shakedown finishing the stretch at 4:07:6 seconds. Baldev Chager and Tejveer Rai were the second and third fastest Kenyans respectively.
Meanwhile, Tejveer Rai is out of the Safari Rally after his VW GTI Polo nose dived at Kedong on Day Two of the WRC Safari Rally.
Tej as he is commonly known did not suffer serious physical harm even after rolling several times in front of a shocked crowd that were by the roadside.
Fortunately, Tejveer and his co-driver Gareth Dawe, both escaped the crash with injuries deemed not to be life-threatening.
The team Kabras drivers were later on air-lifted to Aga Khan hospital in Nairobi for further medical attention where Tejveer was found to have suffered a spinal injury. Kenyans will now have their eyes set on Tejveer's Brother, Onkar Rai who had set the best Kenyan time during the shakedown stage at Loldia.