Daykin Dominates Opening Leg of the 2025 MRF Tyres East African Safari Classic
Kwale, Diani - 5 December 2025 – MRF Tyres East African Safari Classic Rally day 1 closed with a commanding lead for Kenya’s Piers Daykin and co-driver Lloyd Destro, who topped the overall standings after three demanding stages.
Driving a Datsun 280Z, Daykin delivered a near-flawless performance across SS1, SS2, and SS3 to end the opening day with an overall time of 01:55:18.2, placing him 3 minutes 40.1 seconds ahead of second-placed compatriot Baldev Chager.
Speaking after finishing day one and before reflecting on his performance, he summed up the opening leg as a good one
“This is a a new car and for me but you have to remember that this event has got such a psychological weight on me because of the last experience I had. So, to have had a good first day, it kind of makes me pretty happy. This is a new build, it’s the car that I had an accident with in the last Classic. But for today the first stage was like a shakedown to get the car to work.
Fellow Kenyan and multiple Safari Rally champion Baldev Chager, in the Porsche 911, sits second overall on 01:58:58.3, keeping himself firmly in contention heading into the longer, harsher stages that lie ahead.
“Day 1 is always a day to just settle in. We caught Eugenio in the first stage and sat in his dust for about 10 kilometers, which is all part of the game. Stage 2 was narrow, flowing and very tricky with a lot of traffic, so being first on the road wasn’t fun at all. We had to slow down often because every few brows had something and the last thing you want is to hurt somebody or ourselves. The third stage went reasonably well.”
Geoff Bell and Tim Challen opened their charge in their Datsun 260Z to securing third overall with a cumulative time of 02:00:33.9, just over a minute behind Chager.
Bell said: “It was very nice, actually really nice stages. We had no problems until right at the very end when, with about 11 kilometers to go, we picked up a puncture. But we managed to get to the end on it, so it didn’t affect us too much. Overall, really enjoyed it. Good fun, absolutely great. The car feels strong, the power is great, and everything is working the way it should.”
Former Formula One star Jos Verstappen and father to current F1 champion Max, continued his impressive adaptation to African rallying, placing fourth overall in his Porsche 911 with a time of 02:00:43.5, just ten seconds behind Bell.
“I didn’t really know what to expect today, so the first goal was to learn, how the roads behave, how the surfaces change, and what kind of surprises the Classic can throw at you. We took a sensible approach, made sure not to go off, avoid mistakes or punctures, and I’m happy with what we’ve done so far. We are here, and the car is in one piece, which is very important.”
Kenyan crews have made their presence felt across the leaderboard. Farhaaz and Tauseef Khan placed 14th overall with a solid, conservative run. Asad Anwar and Mudasar Chaudhry finished 29th in their Ford Escort Mk2, while East African Safari Classic chairman, Joey Ghose and Gordon Noble completed the day in 32nd position. Shakeel Khan, Basil Criticos, and East African rally legend Glen Edmunds, who endured a difficult opening day, also brought their cars through the punishing terrain and remain in the rally.
The defending champion Eugenio Amos, co-driven by Paulo Ceci, adopted a cautious approach on Day One as he managed early setbacks and looked ahead to the long.
DAY 2 LOOK-AHEAD: WHAT AWAITS THE CREWS
Day Two takes the Safari Classic inland for the first real endurance test as crews tackle CS4 to CS6 through Mwachanda to Mgalani, Mackinnon Road. to Kileva, Ndome, to Maktau.
The leg covers 147.56 km of competitive distance across a total of 425.61 km, combining fast sections, rough surfaces, and long stretches that will punish cars and crews alike.
With a key service stop at Taita Hills, strategy, tyre management, and survival will be critical, and the stages are expected to significantly shake up the overall standings.
Top 10 Overall Classification – End of Day One (After SS1–SS3)
1 - No. 5 - Piers Daykin (KE) / Lloyd Destro - Class 4 - 01:55:18.2 -
2 - No. 3 - Baldev Chager (KE) / Gareth Dawe - Class 4 - 01:58:58.3 - Gap: +03:40.1
3 - No. 7 - Geoff Bell (ZA) / Tim Challen - Class 4 - 02:00:33.9 - Gap: +05:15.7
4 - No. 8 - Jos Verstappen (NL) / Renaud Jamoul - Class 4 - 02:00:43.5 - Gap: +05:25.3
5 - No. 6 - Remon Vos (NL) / Stéphane Prévot - Class 4 - 02:01:36.3 - Gap: +06:18.1
6 - No. 19 - Fred Miclotte (BE) / Diederick Pattyn - Class 4 - 02:02:15.4 - Gap: +06:57.2
7 - No. 4 - Evgeny Kireev (CY) / PG Andersson - Class 4 - 02:03:21.8 - Gap: +08:03.6
8 - No. 18 - Keith McIvor (IE) / David Burns - Class 3 - 02:03:47.9 - Gap: +08:29.7
9 - No. 14 - Karim Wissanji (CA) / Amaar Slatch - Class 4 - 02:04:06.0 - Gap: +08:47.8
10 - No. 15 - Bonamy Grimes (GB) / Martin Rowe - Class 4 - 02:04:17.9 - Gap: +08:59.7