Rising rally star Tinashe Gatimu has ramped up her preparations for the third leg of the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally, scheduled to take place on March 20 to 23 in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
Gatimu, alongside her co-driver and mother, Caroline Gatimu, have been fine-tuning their Subaru GC8 in preparation for the highly anticipated event, which has drawn over 50 crews from across the globe.
“We have tested the car a couple of times so, I think we can say it is ready for the Safari Rally. Our team has been burning the midnight oil to ensure that we are mentally, physically and technically ready for the contest. The last part of what we did was branding of the car and as you can see, it looks mint,” noted Gatimu at their Lunga Lunga garage Friday morning.
This marks the third consecutive WRC Safari Rally appearance for the mother-daughter duo, who made history in 2023 as the first female pairing to complete the rally, a feat they repeated in 2024. This year, they are setting their sights higher, aiming not just to finish but to secure a strong position in the competition.
Adding to their growing list of milestones, the pair recently joined the KCB Racing Team, becoming the first all-female outfit to be signed by the motorsport powerhouse. Now rubbing shoulders with some of Kenya’s top rally drivers, including Nikhil Sachania, Karan Patel, and Evans Kavisi.
As the only female crew in the team, they have secured backing from KCB’s Female-Led and Made Enterprises (FLME) initiative, serving as its ambassadors. Their car will feature distinct FLME branding, setting them apart from their male counterparts and underscoring the growing impact of women in motorsport.
Through the Female-Led and Made Enterprises (FLME) proposition, the Bank dedicated KShs.250 billion in 2022 to fund women entrepreneurs over five years.
This initiative is aimed at transforming access to financial and non-financial support tailored to their specific needs. To date, KCB has disbursed over KSh. 150 billion, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to supporting women-led businesses.
Gatimu will face some of the biggest drivers in the world including Efflyn Evans, Ott Tanak, Kalle Rovanpera, Katsuta Takamoto, Fourmaux Adrien among others.
Kenyan drivers Carl Tundo, Hamza Anwar, Jeremiah Wahome, Aakif Virani, Jasmeet Chana among others will also take on the world’s toughest event.
By AFP
