WRC, Sportrik Media - Elfyn Evans has explained the incident that forced him to retire from the Safari Rally Kenya 2026 after his Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Yaris Rally1 suffered major damage to the right-rear suspension on SS13 Sleeping Warrior. The setback marked Evans’ first retirement in the World Rally Championship since the Acropolis Rally Greece in 2024.
The Welsh driver had entered the Kenyan round leading the championship standings and was running third overall after the opening stages of the rally. Despite encountering a double puncture earlier on the Elmenteita stage, Evans remained firmly in contention for a podium result heading into the morning loop.
However, the Sleeping Warrior stage brought his rally to an abrupt end. Damage to the rear-right corner of the GR Yaris Rally1 caused a failure in the suspension system as Evans approached the first major braking zone of the stage, leaving him and co-driver Scott Martin stranded.
“The morning started pretty well and things were going fine in the second stage of the loop as well, but unfortunately a new layout at the end of the stage caught us out a bit and we picked up a double puncture,” Evans explained.
“We managed to fit another tire to start the next stage, but it looks like there was more damage caused by the impact with the rock.”
Evans believes that earlier contact with a rock caused hidden structural damage that eventually triggered the suspension failure during the following stage.
“Coming to the first braking of the last stage of the loop, the rear suspension gave way at that moment – or something at the rear anyway – and that’s where it ended unfortunately,” he said.
After stepping out of the car to inspect the damage, Evans immediately realised the issue could not be repaired on the stage.
“As I came into the first braking I felt something let go and I had no grip at all,” he added.
“Obviously the next long straight made it clear that something major was wrong and we started communicating with the team.”
Although the retirement ended a long run of consistency for Evans, he acknowledged that the team had previously managed an extended sequence of rallies without retiring.
“I think we can be happy to have had a long run of events without retirements,” Evans said.
“Of course it’s a huge disappointment, but you have to accept it and move on.”
The impact of Evans’ retirement on the championship battle was partially reduced later in the loop when Sebastien Ogier and Oliver Solberg also retired from first and second place respectively. The sequence of incidents highlighted once again the extreme mechanical demands of the Safari Rally Kenya on Rally1 machinery.
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