Evans wins Safari Rally Kenya to extend WRC lead

Elfyn Evans is the first British driver to win the Safari Rally since Colin McRae in 2002

Welshman Elfyn Evans won Safari Rally Kenya to extend his World Rally Championship (WRC) lead to 36 points after three rounds.

The 36-year-old Toyota driver recorded back-to-back victories for the first time, finishing more than a minute ahead of Estonian Ott Tanak.

Hyundai's Tanak led the race before breaking a driveshaft on Friday, while Evans' Toyota team-mate Kalle Rovanpera retired after a string of problems.

It was Evans' first victory in Kenya but a fifth Safari success in a row for Toyota.

"A huge well done to the team, they did a great job and I'm proud to be a very small part of Toyota's history at this special rally," said Evans who has established the largest championship lead ever recorded after three rounds of a WRC campaign.

"I want to say thank you to everyone in Kenya for a very warm welcome and an amazing rally."

Having won Thursday's opening stage and two on Saturday, Evans and co-driver Scott Martin took a lead of just under two minutes into Sunday.

However, given the attritional nature of the rally, the Toyota Gazoo Racing duo opted for a safety first approach to the final five stages.

They ceded 47 seconds on the final day but still finished one minute 9.9 seconds ahead of Tanak, with Thierry Neuville a further two minutes 22 seconds adrift.

It meant Evans collected only two Sunday points, but with 25 for the rally victory it took his total to 88, following victory in Sweden last month and a runners-up spot in January's season-opening Rallye Monte Carlo.

Last year's championship winner Neuville has moved up from fourth place to second on 52 points, with Tanak third on 49.

Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta was on course for a fourth-place finish but damage sustained during a roll on the final stage prevented him from reaching the finish, promoting Great Britain's Gus Greensmith - who won the WRC2 classification - into sixth.

Northern Ireland's Josh McErlean enjoyed mixed fortunes in the third race of his first WRC season. He lost 29 minutes on Saturday's opening run after breaking a steering arm on his Ford M-Sport Puma.

However, McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy went on to deliver their best performance in a Rally1 car with the second-best time on stage 15.

They placed 10th in Kenya and picked up two Super Sunday points but drop to 12th spot overall.

Round four of the 14 race calendar is the Rally Islas Canarias from 24-27 April.

Safari Rally Kenya result

1. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, 4 hours 20 minutes 3.8 seconds

2. Ott Tanak (Estonia), Hyundai, +1min 09.9secs

3. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, +3mins 32.0secs

4. Sami Pajari (Finland), Toyota, +7mins 18.7secs

5. Gregoire Munster (Luxembourg), Ford, +11mins 35.3secs

6. Gus Greensmith (Great Britain), Skoda, +14mins 11.6secs

10. Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, +37mins 15.8secs

FIA World Rally Championship drivers' standings

1. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, 88 points

2. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, 52

3. Ott Tanak (Estonia), Hyundai, 49

4. Sebastien Ogier (France), Toyota, 33

5. Adrien Formaux (France), Hyundai, 31

6. Kalle Rovanpera (Finland), Toyota, 31

11. Gus Greensmith (Great Britain), Skoda, 8

12. Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, 8