Kenya's fast-rising rally star McRae Kimathi displayed exemplary performance to finish third at the prestigious 2023 WRC Safari Rally that concluded on Sunday in Naivasha, Nakuru County.

Safaricom-sponsored Kimathi clocked a remarkable time of 5:43:54.7 in the highly competitive WRC3 category to earn him 20th position overall.

His performance is a key improvement from 2022 when he finished 23rd with a time of 5:55:59:9.

Domínguez Diego Jr emerged the winner in the WRC3 with a time of 4:37:57.1, while the second position was taken by Bailey Jason who clocked 5:33:05.9.

"I am thrilled to have finished and secured third place in the WRC3 category. This was one of the toughest rallies I have experienced, and I would like to thank our sponsors Safaricom and Kenya Airways for their support and belief in us. We promised to deliver, and indeed we have done our best. This achievement motivates me to continue pushing my limits and striving for excellence in every rally as I now turn my focus to KNRC," said Kimathi, who was navigated by Kioni Mwangi.

Other Kenyan young drivers in the FIA Rally Star program sponsored by Safaricom included Jeremiah Wahome and Hamza Anwar who, unfortunately, were forced to retired prematurely due to mechanical problems.



At the same time, Carl "Flash" Tundo, navigated by Jessop Tim, led the Kenyan team, finishing 4th in WRC2 category and 12th position overall with a time of 4:11:38.6.

This year, Safaricom's mobile money transfer service, M-Pesa, pledged Sh25 million to support the WRC Safari Rally FIA Rally Star Programme.

The FIA Rally Star programme is a global initiative aimed at identifying, training, and developing talented young drivers aged between 17 and 28 years.