The Four Kenyan FIA Rally Stars, McRae Kimathi, Hamza Anwar, Jeremiah Wahome and Maxine Wahome, have expressed confidence ahead of this year’s WRC Safari Rally that flags off today at KICC.
The Quartet, sponsored by Safaricom and Kenya Airways, will feature in their new Ford Fiesta Rally 3 cars. This is the second year in a row that the FIA youngsters will be participating in the championship after successfully taking part in last year’s event, which saw Jeremiah Wahome and Hamza Anwar finish in 16th and 25th overall respectively, with McRae retiring at the final stage due to mechanical problems.
“The shakedown today was very important in terms of preparation for the main event, as we took this opportunity to get a feel of the car and ensure that it is in good condition. The car behaved as I expected as it had no issues. I felt quite excited and confident as I was driving. Hopefully, we can carry that to Kasarani and other stages. My expectation for this Rally is to improve on performance from last year’s event and, most importantly, to finish the Rally,” said Jeremiah Wahome.
Kenyan Youngsters Shine at the WRC Safari Rally
The four drivers are part of the FIA Rally Star programme, a global initiative that seeks to identify, train, and develop talented young drivers between 17-27 years. All the four young drivers sponsored by Safaricom and Kenya Airways will feature in M-Sport Fiesta machines during the Rally.
This year’s event has drawn 33 entries globally, with the defending champion, Sebastian Ogier, coming to defend his title.
Among other key drivers in this year’s Rally at Naivasha are Katsutsa Takamoto of Japan, Neuville Thiery of Belgium, Tanak Ott of Estonia, and youngster Solberg Olver of Sweden, among other renowned sportsmen.