Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak won another three special stages during Safari Rally and extended their lead in the WRC2 category! The LOTOS Rally Team crew perform very well in demanding conditions of the Kenyan classic, impressing with assured and careful drive. According to unofficial results, they hold ninth position in the overall standings, with top Rally1 cars ahead!
Safari Rally leaves no illusions and again proves that it has earned the reputation of the most difficult rally in the world for a good reason. The opening loop on Saturday consisted of three special stages and factory crews encountered plenty of problems on the road. Gus Greensmith rolled his car, Adrien Formaux damaged the suspension, Ott Tänak stopped with engine failure, while Oliver Solberg, Takamoto Katsuta and Elfyn Evans caught punctures. The Polish crew fortunately managed to avoid serious problems, winning all stages in the WRC2 category and extending their lead over second-placed Johnston/Kihurani to almost six minutes.
– We are mid-way through Safari Rally, leading with considerable advantage – but here it basically does not matter. Many traps and unexpected problems await at every corner – other crews have already found it out. We manage to avoid these issues for now but we have to stay cautious until the end, as the biggest challenge is probably the rally itself. The second loop might bring a challenge to survive because the road will be destroyed and even more dangerous. I am happy with my driving, I enjoy every metre of the route. However, I am always aware that I have to drive even smarter, with more wisdom – as we are facing arguably the toughest loop of the whole rally. I approach it with smile on my face, believing that everything will be all right!
– says Kajetan Kajetanowicz, the LOTOS Rally Team driver.
The afternoon loop will be a survival challenge on the same set of stages: Soysambu (29.32 kms), Elmenteita (15,08 km) and Sleeping Warrior (23.05 kms).
Starts of Kajetan Kajetanowicz are supported by strategic partner of the LOTOS Rally Team – Grupa LOTOS, technical partner Delphi Technologies, as well as Pirelli, SJS Driving Experience and Grupa Sikora.
Safari Rally 2022, unofficial WRC2 standings after SS10:
- Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak (Poland, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) 2:22:15.4
- Johnston/Kihurani (USA, Citroën C3 Rally2) +5:51.5
- Rai/Panesar (Kenya/Great Britain, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +20:37.2
- Gomes/Gomes (Zambia, Ford Fiesta Rally2) +23:15.4
- Virani/Bhatti (Kenya, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +27:07.1
- Patel/Khan (Kenya, Ford Fiesta Rally2) +1:15:04.6
