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Toyota Gazoo Racing is heading to Kenya with a massive target on its back.
If you haven’t been following the 2026 WRC season, let me catch you up: Toyota is basically playing a video game on “Easy” mode right now. They’ve locked out the podium in the first two rounds—Monte Carlo and Sweden—a feat that hasn’t been pulled off since the legendary Audi Quattro era in 1984.
But next week? Next week is the Safari Rally Kenya, and the stakes are officially through the roof.
The Statistics Are Scary (For Everyone Else)
Toyota isn’t just “good” in Africa; they are statistically dominant. Since the Safari returned to the WRC calendar five years ago, nobody else has touched the top step of the podium. Nobody. Check out the numbers if you don’t believe me:
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13 Total Wins: Toyota holds the record for the most Safari victories in history.
Unbeaten since 2021: They’ve won every single edition of the modern era.
The 2026 Goal: A sixth consecutive win would give them a clean sweep of every Safari Rally held in the “Rally1” hybrid car era.
Five Drivers, One Dream, and a Lot of Mud
Leading the charge is Elfyn Evans, who just snatched the championship lead after a masterclass in Sweden. He’s got two podiums already this year, while the rest of the squad—Sébastien Ogier, Oliver Solberg, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari—all have at least one trophy on their mantels.
When you have five drivers this fast, the internal competition is a pressure cooker. But more than that, it’s the terrain that keeps them awake at night. We’re talking about “fesh-fesh” sand that swallows cars whole and rocky tracks that snap suspensions like toothpicks.
“Massively Nervous”: Why the Boss Isn’t Celebrating Yet
You’d think Technical Director Tom Fowler would be chilling with a cold one given their start to the season. You’d be wrong.
“Yeah, I mean, massively nervous about that topic because, essentially, the statistics are against us,” Fowler admitted.
He knows that in rallying, the more you win, the closer you are to a loss. Luck is a finite resource in the Great Rift Valley. One rogue rock or a sudden tropical downpour can turn a 1-2-3-4 lockout into a total disaster in seconds. Fowler describes the Safari like “climbing a mountain”—the climb is pure pain, and you only enjoy it for about five minutes when you reach the top.
Can Toyota defy the odds and make it 6-for-6, or is the Safari finally ready to bite back?
