The first full day of the 74th Safari Rally Kenya delivered intense competition, with Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Oliver Solberg narrowly leading legendary French driver Sébastien Ogier by just one second on Friday, March 13, 2026.

The 24-year-old Swedish driver, who already claimed victory in the opening round of the World Rally Championship in Monte Carlo Rally in January, saw his comfortable 30-second lead shrink dramatically after suffering a puncture on the repeated Geothermal stage. That setback reduced his advantage to a single second over Ogier.

The battle tightened further on the Loldia 2 stage, where Ogier,42, gained three-tenths of a second. However, Solberg managed to reclaim the same margin during the final stage of the day, maintaining his slim lead overnight. Reflecting on the conditions, Solberg admitted the final stage was extremely slippery and difficult. He praised Ogier’s performance, acknowledging that the reigning nine-time world champion had an impressive day. Solberg explained that he tried to drive intelligently, but felt he had been slightly too cautious and unlucky with the puncture. With 10 stages still ahead, he hopes to remain in the fight for the lead on Saturday.

Ogier, the 2021 and 2023 Safari Rally champion, was pleased to end the day just one second behind. Interestingly, Ogier suggested that starting Saturday from second place might actually be beneficial. According to Ogier, rain frequently arrives on Saturday afternoons during the Safari Rally, which often makes conditions harder for drivers starting earlier on the road. He emphasized that Saturday would be the toughest day of the rally and a major challenge for everyone.

Championship leader Elfyn Evans sits third overall, about 20 seconds behind the leader. The Welsh driver, who won this rally last year, experienced brake issues early in the day and struggled to find the ideal setup for his Toyota Yaris. Evans also warned that if the weather behaves as it has in previous years, Saturday could bring extremely chaotic and demanding conditions.

Meanwhile, Sami Pajari from Finland impressed throughout the day, winning four of the seven stages and finishing second fastest on two others. Despite rough sections, Pajari drove strategically to avoid major risks and ended the day in fourth place. Pajari described the day as very positive and said he enjoyed the challenge, noting that some rivals had even reviewed his onboard footage at lunchtime, perhaps to study his approach.

Toyota initially occupied the top five positions until the second-to-last stage, when Hyundai drivers Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux moved ahead of Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta. Katsuta’s progress had already been hindered earlier when he suffered two front-tire punctures during the afternoon’s first stage. Without spare tires, he had to drive more cautiously for the rest of the day.

Neuville, who won the global title in 2024, currently leads Fourmaux by just 1.2 seconds despite encountering a water-pressure issue believed to have been caused by a broken cooling fan. After repairs between stages, the Belgian managed to complete the final stage, but indicated there were still concerns with the car. Fourmaux, on the other hand, enjoyed a strong and trouble-free day, setting top-three times on three stages and expressing satisfaction at avoiding major problems.

Katsuta sits only six seconds behind Fourmaux and about a minute ahead of Finland’s Esapekka Lappi. In ninth overall is WRC2 leader Robert Virves, who holds a 14.5-second advantage over defending category winner Gus Greensmith. Their rise into the top-10 was partly due to difficulties faced by M-Sport Ford drivers. Josh McErlean retired after his Puma suffered a cracked gearbox casing, while Jon Armstrong stopped on the following stage to repair transmission damage caused by an impact, losing roughly 24 minutes.

Rain is expected on Saturday as the rally heads north toward Nakuru. The schedule includes two loops of three stages, featuring the demanding Sleeping Warrior stage, which could significantly shake up the standings. This year's Safari Rally takes place in Naivasha, Nakuru County from March 12 to March 15.