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Undeterred, Ogier made a daring decision to carry only one spare wheel aboard his Toyota Yaris for the afternoon loop, employing weight-saving tactics that paid off spectacularly.
Sébastien Ogier showcased his dominance on the plains of the Safari Rally Kenya, recovering from a minor setback in the morning to establish a commanding overnight lead in the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
The Frenchman left his rivals in the dust, surging ahead and building a double-digit lead after just three special stages.
A hybrid unit fault temporarily hindered the eight-time world champion, narrowing his advantage to a mere 2.5 seconds over teammate Kalle Rovanperä before the midday service in Naivasha.
Undeterred, Ogier made a daring decision to carry only one spare wheel aboard his Toyota Yaris for the afternoon loop, employing weight-saving tactics that paid off spectacularly.
He blazed through the stages, clocking three consecutive stage wins times and ending the day with a commanding 22.8-second lead over Rovanperä, securing a Toyota 1-2-3 at the top.
Reflecting on his performance, Ogier commented, "It's been a good day. Except for the hybrid issue this morning, we had a perfect day, so we can be happy."
Meanwhile, championship leader Rovanperä grappled with understeer, particularly in the latter half of the day, as he tackled the challenging rutted sandy tracks.
Despite the understeer, Rovanperä managed to secure second place, with his teammate Elfyn Evans rounding out the early podium, albeit 20.7 seconds adrift, admitting he approached the day too cautiously.
Hyundai's Thierry Neuville had a strong showing throughout the day but suffered an unfortunate retirement in the penultimate test when a heavy compression destroyed the front-left suspension of his Hyundai i20N.
This allowed Safari Rally debutant and teammate Esapekka Lappi, to inherit the position, finishing the day trailing Evans by 10.5 seconds.
Takamoto Katsuta encountered a series of challenges, including a damaged steering arm and tyre damage, but managed to hold onto sixth place, narrowly leading Hyundai's Dani Sordo by a mere 9.0 seconds heading into Saturday's stages.
M-Sport Ford drivers Ott Tänak and Pierre-Louis Loubet experienced a day to forget, falling several minutes behind the leaders in seventh and eighth overall.
Both drivers were forced to change wheels mid-stage, hampering their progress. However, there was a silver lining for the team as Grégoire Munster led the WRC2 category in a Fiesta Rally2, giving the British team something to smile about.
As the rally progresses, the action will shift to the roads around Lake Elmenteita for Saturday's challenging 150.88-kilometer route, the longest of the weekend.
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