Kalle Rovanperä on the Road to Victory in Safari Rally Kenya

Kalle Rovanperä remains at the top of the leaderboard in the Safari Rally Kenya, avoiding the difficulties many competitors faced during the demanding Saturday. Race conditions varied dramatically, from dry and dusty to wet and muddy, but Rovanperä navigated through them, extending his lead to over two minutes. Thierry Neuville, Elfyn Evans, and Takamoto Katsuta, on the other hand, encountered setbacks that affected their performances.

Rovanperä, who had dominated the stages the previous day, opted for a more cautious strategy near Lake Elmenteita. He started the day in the lead, but his Toyota teammates, Evans and Katsuta, fell back after suffering punctures.

Neuville, initially seen as Rovanperä's closest rival, was hindered by fuel system issues in his Hyundai i20 N, costing him valuable time. This allowed Katsuta to rise back to second position, closely followed by M-Sport Ford Puma's Adrien Fourmaux.

Rovanperä, finishing the Sunday stages, is on track to secure 18 points. Katsuta and Fourmaux, further down the leaderboard, are set to earn 15 and 13 points respectively. Rovanperä commented on his lead, emphasizing the need for caution on the challenging stages.

Fourmaux, who also faced challenges, including a damaged left front tire, aims to secure another podium following his success in Sweden. Meanwhile, Evans, affected by multiple punctures, sits in fourth position.

Neuville finished fifth, with a considerable gap to the leader, followed by WRC2 competitors Greensmith and Solberg. Other drivers, such as Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Jourdan Serderidis, closely trail them, while Ott Tänak, despite restarting after retiring on Friday, struggles with vehicle issues but remains in the contention.

The rally will conclude on Sunday with three challenging stages around Lake Naivasha, promising an exciting finish to this high-profile event in the rally world.