Oliver Solberg of Sweden made a powerful start to the 2026 Safari Rally Kenya, taking the early lead after two dramatic opening stages on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

Driving for Toyota Gazoo World Rally Team, Solberg led an impressive Toyota 1-2-3-4-5 sweep after the first leg of action in Naivasha, where more than 40 crews began the famous African rally that runs from March 12 to March 15.

The rally began with SS1 Camp Moran, a stage already expected to be decisive. However, conditions became even more extreme when a sudden downpour hit the area shortly before the cars arrived. The rain transformed the rough gravel stage into a muddy monsoon, making traction and visibility extremely difficult for competitors. Those starting earlier in the running order enjoyed a slightly cleaner surface, which proved advantageous.

Solberg, who won the opening World Rally Championship (WRC) round in Monte Carlo in January, mastered the difficult conditions and won the stage. He set the fastest time and immediately built a commanding 30-second lead over defending champion Elfyn Evans from Great Britain, the championship leader and winner of Rally Sweden. No other driver managed to finish within a minute of Solberg’s time, underlining how dominant his performance was in the challenging weather.

Further down the order, Irish driver Josh McErlean struggled significantly in his M-Sport Ford Rally1 car. He lost almost four minutes to the stage winner, finishing three minutes and 57.1 seconds behind Solberg.

The second stage, SS2 Mzabibu, was much shorter and featured far drier conditions, giving crews some relief after the chaotic opener. Despite the improved surface, the large time gaps created in the first stage meant that the overall standings changed very little.

On this stage, French great  Sébastien Ogier set the fastest time, claiming the stage win and strengthening his hold on third place overall. Meanwhile, Solberg continued his strong form, finishing 3.3 seconds faster than Evans to extend his rally lead to 33.3 seconds over the Welshman.

Behind the leading trio, Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta held fourth position despite dealing with a major communication problem. He had no intercom connection with his co-driver throughout the entire first stage. Finland’s Sami Pajari completed the Toyota top five.

Even though conditions were more stable on the second stage, several Rally1 cars experienced mechanical concerns. All three Hyundai drivers, including Belgian Thierry Neuville, suffered from high engine temperatures. McErlean’s Ford had similar overheating issues.

These problems allowed Northern Irish driver Jon Armstrong to climb to seventh place, moving ahead of Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux. Finland’s Esapekka Lappi held ninth position.

Rounding out the top 10 overall, British driver Gus Greensmith led the WRC2 category, narrowly ahead of Paraguayan driver Diego Domínguez.

Meanwhile, Andreas Mikkelsen from Norway, returning to the championship, lost significant time on the muddy first stage after running out of windshield washer fluid, leaving him 1 minute 40.3 seconds behind the rally leader.