2023 Safari Rally
The 2023 Safari Rally (also known as the Safari Rally Kenya 2023) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held from 22 June to 25 June 2023. It marked the seventy-first running of the Safari Rally, and was the seventh round of the 2023 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The event was based in Naivasha in the Nakuru County, and was contested over nineteen special stages covering a total competitive distance of 356.98 km (221.82 mi).
2023 Safari Rally Safari Rally Kenya 2023 | |||
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Round 7 of 13 in the 2023 World Rally Championship
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The rally is featured with rocky and rutted tracks and unpredictable weather. | |||
Host country | Kenya | ||
Rally base | Naivasha, Nakuru County | ||
Dates run | 22 – 25 June 2023 | ||
Start location | Kasarani, Nairobi | ||
Finish location | Hell's Gate National Park, Naivasha | ||
Stages | 19 (356.98 km; 221.82 miles) | ||
Stage surface | Gravel | ||
Transport distance | 835.49 km (519.15 miles) | ||
Overall distance | 1,192.47 km (740.97 miles) | ||
Statistics | |||
Crews registered | 33 | ||
Crews | 31 at start, 20 at finish | ||
Overall results | |||
Overall winner | Sébastien Ogier Vincent Landais Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 3:30:42.5 | ||
Power Stage winner | Ott Tänak Martin Järveoja M-Sport Ford WRT 5:35.0 | ||
Support category results | |||
WRC-2 winner | Kajetan Kajetanowicz Maciej Szczepaniak 3:57:15.9 | ||
WRC-3 winner | Diego Dominguez Jr. Rogelio Peñate 4:37:57.1 |
Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen were the defending rally winners. Their team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, were the defending manufacturer's winners. Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak were the defending rally winners in the WRC-2 category. Maxine Wahome and Murage Waigwa were the defending rally winners in the WRC-3 category.
Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais won the rally. Their team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, successfully defended their manufacturer's title. Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak successfully defended their victory in the World Rally Championship-2 category. Diego Dominguez Jr. and Rogelio Peñate won the World Rally Championship-3 category.
The Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT crew of Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe was disqualified from the rally post-event for unathorized reconnaissance of stages, stripping them both of their eighth place finish and of the victory in the Power Stage. The disqualifcation instead gave the Power Stage victory to Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja of the M-Sport Ford team.