WRC
Kankkunen’s full-circle moment as Toyota triumphs in Kenya
Four-time WRC champion Juha Kankkunen couldn’t have asked for a better start to his role as Toyota GAZOO Racing’s deputy team principal, celebrating victory at last week’s Safari Rally Kenya.
The Finn stepped in for Jari-Matti Latvala and oversaw a fifth consecutive Safari triumph for Toyota, with Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin claiming the top step of the podium on Sunday. The win also marked a major milestone - Toyota’s 100th WRC start since rejoining the series in 2017.
Kankkunen, who won the gruelling African three times himself in the 1980s and 1990s, was moved by the moment.
“I’m really happy that we managed to win the 100th WRC rally for the team and that I could celebrate another Toyota win on the Safari Rally, 40 years after my first victory here,” he said. “It really brought tears to my eyes.”
While the modern-day Safari may be shorter than the version Kankkunen was used to in his driving days, it still delivered a tough test - even from the service park.
I was a lot more nervous following it than I ever was when I was driving myself.
“Among the modern day, shorter Safari rallies, this was absolutely the toughest one I have seen,” he explained. “There were a lot of things happening all the time, so I was a lot more nervous following it than I ever was when I was driving myself.
“We were maybe a little bit unlucky compared to previous years, especially on this final day, but the most important thing is that we managed to win this rally for Toyota once again. It was a really good job from Elfyn and Scott, who have made a fantastic start to the season.”
