WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2021 Betting Preview

WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2021 Betting Preview

Every race on the WRC calendar delivers a unique challenge, which will certainly be the case this weekend when the drivers head to Africa for the WRC Safari Rally Kenya. The course itself is going to be tough, but it’s also one that drivers will not be familiar with. That’s because this is the first time that the WRC has held a rally in Africa since 2002. That is sure to level the playing field a little, so might we see a surprise winner this weekend, or will it be one of the drivers who are off to a great start to the 2021 season? The top 4 in the overall standings has some very familiar names, so let’s take a closer look at those drivers for you to get ready to bet against their WRC odds.

Safari Rally Kenya 2021 Analysis | WRC Betting

Sebastien Ogier

Ogier has been in the WRC since 2008 and has amassed 52 wins in that time. Given that rather lofty number, it should come as no surprise to learn that he has also picked up 7 WRC Championships in that time. There is still a lot of racing to come, but you have to say that Ogier is well on his way to number 8. He is the only driver to have crossed the 100-point mark this season after winning 3 of the first 5 races of the year. Any time that he has hit that number of wins this early in a season, he has gone on to win it all. This weekend will be a tough challenge, though, and his lead at the top is not so wide that he can afford to have a poor run.

Elfyn Evans

At this current stage of the proceedings, Evans is the only driver within reach of Ogier, as he is sitting just 11 points off the pace, having amassed 95 points through the first 5 races. Given how the Welshman has performed this season, you would certainly expect him to cross the 100-point barrier this weekend. Evans came into 2021 looking to go one better than his 2nd place overall finish last season. He picked up 2 wins in a shortened 7-race season last year and already has one this season, taking the win in Portugal. Besides that victory, he also has 3 more podium finishes and has not finished worse than 5th in his first 5 races.

Thierry Neuville

If you need proof of how one bad run in a season can hurt your chances of a world championship, you need only take a look at Thierry Neuville. He has been the model of consistency this season, finishing 3rd in 4 of the 5 races to this point. It was his run in Portugal, where he finished 36th and managed just 4 points that has him sitting close to 20 points off the lead. There are still plenty of races to come, but he needs to avoid another poor performance like he delivered in Portugal.

Ott Tanak

It would not be a good idea to write off a driver, especially one as good as Tanak, at this stage of the season, but the reality is that he has a lot to do to get back in the hunt after a poor start to the season. He was forced to retire in the opening race of the season, and then followed that up with a win, but it has been all downhill since then. Tanak kas picked up just 9 points in his last 2 races.