Leaving behind the first rounds in Monte Carlo and Sweden, the jump to the African continent is way too close in coming, and both Diego Domínguez Bejarano and Fabrizio Zaldívar Zuccolillo, the two Paraguayans who will start the rally, are already testing on Kenyan soil to face no less than 383.10 kilometers of special stages between March 20 and 23.
On the side of the current FIA WRC3 champion, this will be his third event of the year, plus the first under the WRC2 as part of its extensive program for 2025 that includes no less than three championships (WRC2, WRC3 and JWRC). With the support of Teo Martín Motorsport and Rogelio Peñate from the Canary Islands as his codriver, Domínguez Bejarano will face the event aboard a car he already knows from his experience, the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
Although, in world championship terms it will be his debut with the Japanese weapon, his two previous experiences aboard this car were the RallyRACC Catalunya in 2024, and the Rally Trans Itapúa in 2025, winning the latter event.
Likewise, Dominguez will participate in the WRC Safari Rally Kenya for the fourth time, of which he has achieved victory in 2023 aboard the Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo in what was his second foray into the event. In the other two, in 2022 (Ford Fiesta Rally3) and 2024 (Citroën C3 Rally2), the difficulty got the better of him, retiring in both.
As for the two-time FIA-CODASUR champion, Sweden has so far been his only participation in the 2025 season, while it will be the first opportunity for “Fau” to enter the Safari, so it will be a completely new experience in a totally unknown terrain, thus adding kilometers and experience with the goal of reaching the top.
Zaldívar will have as usual in recent times, the Cordovan -based in Italy- Marcelo Der Ohannesian, and will take by assault the WRC Safari Rally Kenya Rally aboard the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of MAPO Motorsport, then, he’ll be back for the rest of the season at Toksport WRT, a team he already knows because he ran for that structure in 2021 at the controls of a Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo in the then WRC3 (when the nomenclature was intended for Rally2 cars of private and/or independent teams).
“Fau” and the new bet of the Czech brand are already known since last season, because throughout the 2024, competed aboard the same within the WRC2 Challenger, culminating in the top 10 with 54 points.
The 2025 WRC Safari Rally Kenya will have a total length of 383.10 kilometers of special stages (not including the 5.16 kilometers Shakedown on Wednesday), segmented with 13.03 kilometers on Thursday, 157.58 kilometers on Friday, 146.50 kilometers on Saturday, and 65.99 kilometers on Sunday.
