WRC, Sportrik Media - Safari Rally Kenya 2026 will mark the third round of the FIA World Rally Championship season following the opening events in Monte Carlo and Sweden. Heading into the African rally, Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Elfyn Evans leads the championship standings with a solid points advantage.
Toyota’s dominance has been evident at the start of the 2026 campaign after the Japanese manufacturer placed four of its drivers near the top of the standings. A historic 1-2-3-4 finish at Rally Sweden significantly strengthened the team’s early championship position.
Second place in the standings is held by Evans’ teammate Oliver Solberg, who has shown strong consistency across the opening rounds of the season. Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta also occupies a top-three position after collecting valuable points during the early part of the championship.
From the Hyundai Motorsport camp, French driver Adrien Fourmaux currently stands as the team’s best-placed driver in fourth position. He is followed by team leader Thierry Neuville in fifth.
Meanwhile, eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier sits sixth in the standings after competing in a partial program with Toyota this season. His return for Safari Rally Kenya is expected to strengthen the manufacturer’s effort to maintain its winning streak in the African event.
WRC 2026 Drivers’ Standings (Top 10)
| Pos | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elfyn Evans | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 60 |
| 2 | Oliver Solberg | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 47 |
| 3 | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 30 |
| 4 | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai Motorsport | 28 |
| 5 | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai Motorsport | 21 |
| 6 | Sébastien Ogier | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 18 |
| 7 | Sami Pajari | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 17 |
| 8 | Esapekka Lappi | Hyundai Motorsport | 9 |
| 9 | Léo Rossel | Citroën (WRC2) | 8 |
| 10 | Yohan Rossel | Lancia (WRC2) | 6 |
WRC 2026 Manufacturers’ Standings
| Pos | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | 117 |
| 2 | Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | 66 |
| 3 | M-Sport Ford World Rally Team | 14 |
Heading into Safari Rally Kenya, Evans holds a 13-point advantage over Solberg following his dominant victory in Rally Sweden. The standings will also determine the starting order for the opening day of the Kenyan rally, with the championship leader required to open the road on the early stages.
Toyota arrives in Kenya with strong momentum after the first two rounds of the season, while Hyundai aims to close the points gap through technical upgrades introduced on its Rally1 package. With its extreme terrain and high attrition rate, Safari Rally Kenya could play a pivotal role in shaping the early direction of the 2026 WRC title fight.
Read Also
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