Cool Kajto secures Safari success in WRC2

The Škoda-driving Pole cruised to Sunday afternoon’s finish more than 11 minutes in front of nearest-placed challenger Martin Prokop, vaulting from ninth to fourth in the championship standings as a result.

Kajetanowicz tussled with M-Sport Ford youngster Grégoire Munster through Friday and Saturday but found himself comfortably clear at the top when his Fiesta Rally2 rival pulled over with a mechanical issue. A cool and clever run through the closing six special stages was all that was needed to bring home the victory.

"We did it again! It's an amazing feeling. It was so nice to be here again - it seemed to be easy but it wasn't. Thank you to my team and Maciej, I think we did quite a good job," said Kajetanowicz, referencing his co-driver Maciej Szczepaniak.

It was a case of third time lucky for Prokop, who crashed in 2021 and retired with engine failure in 2022. A Friday misfire caused minor frustration for the Czech star but he achieved a career-best WRC2 result alongside co-driver Zdeněk Jůrka.

Local legend Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo met his target of finishing inside the top three, trailing Prokop by 2min 55sec in a Škoda Fabia R5. Armin Kremer, driving a slightly newer model, claimed fourth and also won the WRC Masters Cup category.

Completing the strong Polish showing over the weekend, Daniel Chwist rounded out the top five in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.