It is exactly 40 years since Toyota legend and four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen had an emphatic victory in the Safari Rally whose 2025 edition is set to rev off in the lakeside town of Naivasha tomorrow.
Two things stood out in that victory recorded in 1985; he won the Safari Rally, aboard a Toyota Celica TCT, in his debut on Kenyan soil and it was his first ever victory in the World Rally Championship (WRC) series.
The Finn speed merchant would later repeat the feat in 1991, winning his second Safari Rally title on a Lancia Delta HF Intergrale 16V car.
His return to Toyota in 1993, driving a Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD, proved even bigger, better and sweeter as he led a formidable line up consisting of Markku Alen and Duncan Davies to a sweep of the podium in the Safari in that order. This was Kankkunen’s third and final Safari Rally win and he would go on to bag the world title as well that season.
Since then, this podium sweep in the Safari Rally has been repeated twice by the current Toyota drivers.
In 2022, young Finn Kalle Rovanpera led team mates Elfyn Evans and Katsuta Takamoto to dominate the championship in Naivasha and in 2023, Sebastien Ogier, Rovanpera and Evans conquered the Safari Rally at the same location that order.
Reminiscing his first-ever victory on Kenyan soil, Kankkunen has told the formidable Toyota lineup for the 2025 Safari Rally, consisting of Sami Pajari, Katsuta, Rovanpera and Evans, not to let him down.
He wants the team to give him a perfect 40th Anniversary gift that he will remember.
“1985 and 1993 were my lovely years in Kenya. I won the Safari on my debut, the first driver to ever do that. That rally was nostalgic and my message to the Toyota squad headed for battle in Naivasha is that they should give me a perfect 40th Anniversary present to make the celebrations even better.
“I not only want them (Toyota) to win this rally, but to sweep the podium, the way we did in 1993. It will be the best thank-you note for them to give me,” Kankkunen told Standard Sports.
Kankkunen says he strongly believes in the current Toyota lineup, saying that all the four drivers are very effective and will deliver for the leading constructor a fifth successive gong in the Safari Rally.
“Kalle has won the Safari twice, Takamoto has been on the podium, Evans is currently on fire in the series and Pajari is another force to reckon with. I think this is the best squad you can ever find in the Safari Rally,” Kankkunen said.
“Our aim is to win the Safari for the fifth time and I think we are just in a good position to do that. Everything looks pretty good on our side as we head for the rally. I can assure you we are out to win the Safari,” he said.
On his sentiments about Adrien (Fourmaux) spoiling the podium sweep party for Toyota last season after the Frenchman squeezed into third place finish behind winner Rovanpera and second placed Katsuta, Kankkunen said: “This only indicates that the WRC and the Safari Rally is growing in leaps and bounds, the championship is becoming very competitive by the day. I think he (Adrien) gave a good account of himself last season, he had amazing progress and him joining Hyundai this season will only make the rivalry stronger in the Safari as well as the rest of the series.”
The Finn, 65, also believes 1-2 finishes in the 2025 opening legs in Monte Carlo and Sweden gives Toyota a head start as we head to the Safari.
“It’s a morale booster, and we want to do the same, and to even have a probable 1-2-3 finish in Naivasha. It is good that we have started the season well and we hope it will be like this to the end,” said Kankkunen who on Monday steered Toyota Gazoo Racing Team at the launch of the second Road Safety Campaign initiative in Kenya at Jogoo Road Primary School in Nairobi to educate school children across the country on the safe ways to use the roads.
The children will also take part in a road safety mural art drawing contest to put emphasis on the launched Road safety Initiative.
Kankkunen has also given out his sentiments on the removal of the hybrid system, that used to boost the performance of the rally cars, in this year’s WRC series.
He indicated that doing away with the system is even better as the hybrid used to be a bit cumbersome for drivers to operate.
“I think it’s now easier to service the vehicles, it even helps the teams to operate the cars easily and smoothly because the hybrid was very complicated. Everyone is now on the same level and I think the cars now work well without hybrids as witnessed in Monte Carlo and Sweden legs.”
While comparing the Safari Rally of yore and the current competition, Kankkunen narrated how they did long and winding stages in their days while the current competition has been reduced to shorter ones.
However, he noted that the challenges to win the rallies are still the same- very tough whether you are in Africa or Europe.
And what does he do with his life upon retirement from active rallying?
“I still work a lot with cars. I drive them many times. I have also taken up a new role as Toyota Team Deputy Principal and so it’s great to be back to Kenya to watch how our boys will be doing in the Safari Rally,” he highlighted.
