Chager gives thumbs up to Safari Rally organisers

Baldev Chager has expressed satisfaction with the organisation of the Safari Rally after winning the World Rally Championship (WRC) candidate event rally for the third time in his career on Sunday.

“I must say this year’s rally was superbly organised. I would rate my victory this year as one of the best achievements in my rallying career,” Chager told Nation Sport on Monday.

Chager said the stages were fast and smooth and the rally was won by a margin of seconds rather than minutes, suggesting the stages were fast and entertaining.

It is now left to WRC organisers FIA to assess the event and communicate to the Safari Rally secretariat, given that local fans of rallying are awaiting Safari Rally’s return to the WRC after 17 years in the cold.

Speaking during the prize-giving ceremony on Sunday in Naivasha, Oliver Ciesla, the Managing Director of World Rally Championship Promoters, said: “We have come and seen the rally. I must say it was well organised. A meeting of senior members of the FIA, the president and his team will be conveyed in the next few weeks.”

“We would not like Kenyans to wait for long for the actual response and report. But let me tell you this, we are coming back next year,” Ciesla added.

WRC Safari Rally Project CEO Phineas Kimathi said he was happy with the support his team got from many quarters that made the rally a success. For the next two days, Kimathi will meet senior Government officials and members of FIA’s technical team to review the event and discuss the way forward.

“It has been great work by Kenyans for Kenya. I am happy with how we ran the event, and I’m now waiting for feedback from FIA on the way forward. Kenyans will have a concrete answer in five weeks when the world motorsports body holds its next meeting.

Senior FIA officials, led by Michelle Mouton, checked the rally stages to ensure everything was done according to the FIA standards.

Some officials from manufacturers teams, among them those from Ford, Toyota and Hyundai, also assessed the route part prior to the start of the Safari Rally.

Mouton is the Chief Safety Delegate, and the rest of the team included Cam Bonevel (Medical Delegate), Timo Rautiainen (Sporting Delegate) and Andrew Wheatly (Sporting Delegate).

Marvin Baryan held a 35 second lead most of the final stage before stopping with mechanical failure, was passed by two cars before resuming and it was too late. Baryan had in turn overthrown the overnight lead of Carl Tundo.